DigiDesign Command 8 User manual

Digidesign
2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard
Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA
tel: 650·731·6300
fax: 650·731·6399
Technical Support (USA)
tel: 650·731·6100
fax: 650·731·6384
Product Information (USA)
tel: 650·731·6102
tel: 800·333·2137
International Offices
Visit the Digidesign Web site
for contact information
Web Site
www.digidesign.com
Command|8 Guide
for Pro Tools TDM and LE Systems on Windows or Macintosh
C8.book Page i Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM

Copyright
This guide is copyrighted ©2004 by Digidesign, a division of
Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights
reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be
duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of
Digidesign.
DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology,
Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
Product features, specifications, system requirements and
availability are subject to change without notice.
PN 932012395-00 REV A 04/04
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
We Digidesign,
3401-A Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94304-1348, USA
650-842-7900
declare under our sole responsibility that the product
Command|8
complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference
to radio or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try
and correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
• Reorient or locate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver.
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
for help.
Any modifications to the unit, unless expressly approved by
Digidesign, could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Canadian Compliance Statement:
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-
003
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme
NMB-003 du Canada
Australian Compliance
European Compliance
Tested To Comply
With FCC Standards
Command|8
C8.book Page ii Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM

Contents iii
contents
Chapter 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Command|8 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Included with Command|8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
System Requirements and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About www.digidesign.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
MIDI Control Surface Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2. Installing and Configuring Command|8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Example Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Command|8 Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connecting Command|8 to Pro Tools and Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Installing Software for Command|8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Connecting Analog Audio for Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting a Footswitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting MIDI Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Configuring MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Enabling Command|8 in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Communication Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
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Command|8 Guide iv
Chapter 3. Command|8 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Command|8 Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Command|8 Control Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
LCD Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Fader Strips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Console and Channel View Controls for Pan, Sends, and Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Transport, Navigation, and Zoom Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Monitoring Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Modifiers Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Standalone Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
USB and MIDI Activity LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter 4. Using Command|8 with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Controlling the Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Undo and Redo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Navigating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Plug-Ins and Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Software Synths and Rewire Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Chapter 5. Using Stand-Alone Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Overview of Stand-Alone Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Stand-Alone Mode QuickStart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Selecting Stand-Alone Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Editing MIDI Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Presets to Save and Recall Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
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Contents v
Appendix A. Utility Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Accessing Utility Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Fader Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
LED Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
LCD Display Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Switch Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Encoder Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
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Command|8 Guide vi
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Chapter 1: Introduction 1
chapter 1
Introduction
Welcome to Command|8, a control surface for
developed in collaboration between Digidesign
and Focusrite. Command|8 is a compact, and
flexible control surface for Pro Tools TDM and
LE systems, and supported Avid systems.
Command|8 Features
Some of the main features of Command|8 in-
clude:
•Eight fader strips, each featuring a motorized,
touch-sensitive fader, rotary encoder, LEDs,
and Solo, Mute, and Channel Select switches.
• Analog monitoring section with output and
level control for mains and headphones. Two
pairs of analog inputs are provided, one for
your main mix from Pro Tools, and one for al-
ternate sources (such as CD, Mini-Disc, and
DAT players).
• One MIDI In port and two MIDI Out ports
providing 16 channels of MIDI input, and 32
channels of MIDI output.
•USB port for direct USB MIDI communication
with Pro Tools.
• Large, bright LCD for data display.
•1/4-inch Punch In port for footswitch control
of recording.
•Transport controls and mode switches.
•Windows switches for Pro Tools display.
• Navigation and Zoom controls.
•Tactile control of track volume, pan, send
level, send pan, and record status, as well as
PRE (Digidesign mic preamplifier) gain.
• Fast and convenient access to sends, inserts,
plug-in pages, pan settings, and other track
functions.
• Five Function keys to access Utility, Fader
Mute, and MIDI mapping functions.
• AC power supply designed specifically for
Command|8.
•Stand-alone mode with snapshot save and re-
call, lets you use Command|8 to control any
device that supports MIDI Continuous Con-
troller messages. Custom MIDI mapping can
be programmed as needed, and up to eight
snapshots can be saved locally in Com-
mand|8.
Included with Command|8
Items included with Command|8 are:
•Command|8 control surface
•Command|8 Guide
• USB cable
• Power adapter
•Pro Tools software for Command|8
• Registration card
C8.book Page 1 Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM

Command|8 Guide 2
System Requirements and
Compatibility
Command|8 can be used with any supported
Pro Tools TDM or Pro Tools LE system for tactile
control of recording and mixing. Command|8
can also be used in Stand-alone mode and
mapped to control most digital audio worksta-
tions or devices that support MIDI.
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
provide support for hardware and software it
has tested and approved.
For a list of Digidesign-qualified computers, op-
erating systems, and third-party devices, refer to
the latest compatibility information on the
Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com/com-
pato).
Digidesign Registration
Make sure to complete and return the registra-
tion card included with Command|8. This is
your best way to receive news of updates and
other Digidesign product information. (See also
“About www.digidesign.com” on page 2.)
About www.digidesign.com
The Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com)
is your best source for information to help you
get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The
following are just a few of the services and fea-
tures available.
Support Contact Digidesign Technical Support
or Customer Service; download software up-
dates and the latest online manuals; browse the
Compatibility documents for system require-
ments; search the online Answerbase or join the
worldwide Pro Tools community on the Digi-
design User Conference.
Training and Education Study on your own using
courses available online or find out how you can
learn in a classroom setting at a certified
Pro Tools training center.
Products and Developers Learn about Digidesign
products; download demo software or learn
about our Development Partners and their plug-
ins, applications, and hardware.
News and Events Get the latest news from Digi-
design or sign up for a Pro Tools demo.
To learn more about these and other resources
available from Digidesign, visit our Web site
(www.digidesign.com).
C8.book Page 2 Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM

Chapter 1: Introduction 3
MIDI Control Surface Terms
Here are a few terms that apply to the use of a
MIDI control surface with Pro Tools.
Bank A group of similar controls (such as faders,
rotary controls, or switches) that are arranged in
discrete channel strips. With Command|8, you
can operate one bank of controls at a time.
Bank Size or Bank Width Corresponds to the
number of fader strips on your MIDI control sur-
face. Command|8 has eight fader strips.
Bank Swap The process by which you switch
control from one on-screen bank of channel
strip faders to another.
Global Controls Controls that perform single
functions that never change. For example, the
transport switches affect all tracks, and do not
change when you switch banks.
Control Surface Focus When you select a track,
send, plug-in, or output window for editing on a
control surface, it becomes the
control surface fo-
cus
. This distinction is indicated by a colored
outline surrounding the top panel of the win-
dow in Pro Tools.
About This Guide
This guide assumes you have already installed
Pro Tools, and that you already have an under-
standing of its features and operating conven-
tions as explained in the
Pro Tools Reference
Guide
.
Conventions Used in This Guide
This guide uses the following conventions to in-
dicate Pro Tools on-screen menu choices and
key commands:
:
Command|8 features a Modifiers section that
provides the following modifier-key equiva-
lents:
Convention Action
File > Save Session Choose Save Session
from the File menu
Control+N Hold down the Control
key and press the N key
Control-click Hold down the Control
key and click the mouse
button
Right-click (Windows) Click with the right
mouse button
Command|8 Modifier Modifier Key Equivalents
Windows Macintosh
SHIFT/ADD Shift Shift
OPT(ALT)/ALL Alt Option

/(CTL) Control Command
CTL/CLUTCH Start Control
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Command|8 Guide 4
The following symbols are used to highlight im-
portant information:
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the
most out of Command|8.
Warnings include information that could
affect the performance of Command|8
hardware or Pro Tools session data.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.
Cross References point to other related sec-
tions in this guide or the Pro Tools guide.
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Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Command|8 5
chapter 2
Installing and Configuring Command|8
This chapter explains how to install and config-
ure Command|8.
Before You Begin
Before installing Command|8 for use with
Pro Tools:
■Make sure Pro Tools is correctly installed and
operating before installing Command|8.
Pro Tools software includes software for Com-
mand|8, installed by default as part of the Easy
Install option.
Installation Guidelines
Unpack Command|8 from its shipping con-
tainer, being careful not to lose any included
components or information sheets. Read all in-
cluded material for any updates or other impor-
tant information.
Place Command|8 on a flat surface near your
computer monitor. Make sure not to block the
back, sides, or front of Command|8 to maintain
proper ventilation. If mounting Command|8 in
studio furniture, be sure to leave adequate space
around the vents at the rear and front.
When installing Command|8, be aware of the
following guidelines and options:
•Pro Tools does not support the use of more
than one Command|8 at a time. In other
words, two or more Command|8 units cannot
be enabled simultaneously in Pro Tools.
• Command|8 must be the only MIDI control
surface enabled within Pro Tools.
•Command|8 can be used in combination with
non-MIDI control surfaces with some limita-
tions. See “Command|8 with Other Control
Surfaces” on page 7 for more information.
•Command|8 can also be used as a stand-alone
MIDI control surface to control software
synths and Rewire applications, supported
Avid systems, and any device that supports
MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) communi-
cation. See Chapter 5, “Using Stand-Alone
Mode” for installation and operational infor-
mation about stand-alone use.
If you did a Custom Install of Pro Tools,
you may need to reinsert your Pro Tools In-
staller CD while installing Command|8, as
noted later in this chapter.
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Command|8 Guide6
Example Setups
Figure 1 shows Command|8 connected for use with Pro Tools, acting as a control surface, MIDI inter-
face, and monitor controller.
Command|8 with Pro Tools Setup
In this setup, the Command|8 USB port is con-
nected to the host computer. This provides the
communication necessary for Command|8 fad-
ers, encoders, and switches to control Pro Tools
sessions (as well as compatible Rewire applica-
tions running within the Pro Tools mix envi-
ronment).
A MIDI keyboard and sound module are con-
nected to the Command|8 MIDI In and MIDI
Out ports. Because Command|8 utilizes USB
MIDI communication, you can use all three
MIDI ports to integrate MIDI keyboard and
other controllers, sound modules, and samplers
into your Pro Tools sessions.
Analog audio is from Pro Tools is sent from an
audio interface (such as an HD I/O,
Digi 002 Rack, or Mbox) to the Command|8
Main Monitor inputs. The Command|8 Speaker
Outputs are connected to powered monitors for
control room monitoring. An additional stereo
source is also connected to the Command|8 Ex-
ternal Source Inputs. The Control Room and
Headphone controls let you select between in-
put sources (Main, or External), with control
room Level, Mono, and Mute control. The
Headphone output follows the control room in-
put source selection, with its own separate level
control that only affects the top panel Head-
phone port.
Figure 1. Connecting Command|8 as a Pro Tools control surface, MIDI interface, and monitor controller
Speaker Outputs
MIDI
Pro Tools
CD, DAT,
to Main Monitor Inputs
to Ext Source Inputs
Mini-Disc
or other
Mix output
Audio outputs to Pro Tools
MIDI sound module
MIDI synth
USB to CPU
Audio outputs to Pro Tools
Headphones
Main Monitors
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Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Command|8 7
Command|8 with Other Control Surfaces
Digi 002 and Command|8
When used as a MIDI control surface with supported Digi 002 and Digi 002 Rack systems, Com-
mand|8 faders function as additional faders (9–16, when left justified). Figure 2 shows fader mapping
when Command|8 is used with a Digi 002. (Plug-ins cannot be edited on Command|8 when used
with a Digi 002.) Use Command|8 for expanded fader control, or remote transport and monitoring.
ProControl or Control|24 and Command|8
Command|8 can be used simultaneously with ProControl or Control|24 as a remote Transport for iso-
lation rooms, drum booths, and other locations for remote control of play and record functions.
When used with ProControl or Control|24, Command|8 faders overlap (duplicate) the left-most eight
faders currently banked on Control|24.
Figure 3 shows basic connections when adding Command|8 to a Control|24 system (connections for
ProControl would be similar).
Figure 2. Digi 002 (or Digi 002R) and Command|8 fader mapping
CHANNELVIEW
INSERT PAN/SENDDYNAMICS
EQ
SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL SEL
PAGE MASTER BYPASS
CONSOLEVIEW
REC
PAN SEND INSERT
ESC
UNDO STANDALONE
DISPLAY
A
B
C
D
E
1394
MIDI
IN OUT1OUT2
LR
METER
ENTER
SAMPLE RATE
44.1 48 88.2 96
RECPLAYFFW STOPREWRTZ
MUTE
SOLO
MUTE
SOLO
MUTE
SOLO
MUTE
SOLO
MUTE
SOLO
MUTE
SOLO
MUTE
SOLO
MUTE
SOLO
BANK
NUDGE
ZOOM
(UTILITY) F1
(NAMING) F2
(SNAPSHOT) F3
(FADERMUTE) F4
(FOCUS) F5
FLIP
MASTER
FADERS
WINDOWS
PLUG-IN MIX EDIT
PLAY/RECMODE
LOOPPLAY LOOPREC QUICKPUNCH
MODIFIERS
SHIFT/ADD
COMM/CTL/CLUTCH
OPTION/ALL
z
+6
0
-10
-15
-20
-30
-90
-40
-60
-5
+3
+6
0
-10
-15
-20
-30
-90
-40
-60
-5
+3
+6
0
-10
-15
-20
-30
-90
-40
-60
-5
+3
+6
0
-10
-15
-20
-30
-90
-40
-60
-5
+3
+6
0
-10
-15
-20
-30
-90
-40
-60
-5
+3
+6
0
-10
-15
-20
-30
-90
-40
-60
-5
+3
+6
0
-10
-15
-20
-30
-90
-40
-60
-5
+3
LR
IN
OUT
1 GAIN 2 GAIN 3 GAIN 4 GAIN
HEADPHONE
MONO
ALTSRC
TO IN 7-8
ALTSRC
TO MON
MUTE
LINE/INST
MIC
MONITOR
LEVEL LEVEL
Faders 1–8 Faders 9–16
Digi 002 Command|8
Figure 3. Control|24-based Pro Tools system with Command|8 as a remote transport and monitor controller
USB to
CPU
Mic input
Alt or
Command|8 in
vocal booth or
other
Control|24
monitor outputs
Control Room Monitors
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Command|8 Guide 8
Command|8 Back Panel
The figure below shows the Command|8 back panel connectors and switches.
Connecting Command|8 to
Pro Tools and Your Computer
This section lists the basic steps required to con-
nect Command|8 to Pro Tools. Detailed instruc-
tions for each step can be found later in this
chapter.
Installing Command|8 for Pro Tools involves the
following:
1 Connect AC power (see “Connecting AC
Power” on page 9).
2 Connect USB (“Connecting USB” on page 9).
3 Install Command|8 software (see “Installing
Software for Command|8” on page 9).
4 Connect audio for monitoring (see “Connect-
ing Analog Audio for Monitoring” on page 11).
5 Connect a footswitch for punch recording (see
“Connecting a Footswitch” on page 12).
6 Connect MIDI devices (see “Connecting MIDI
Devices” on page 12).
7 Configure MIDI (see “Configuring MIDI” on
page 13).
8 Configure Pro Tools (see “Enabling Com-
mand|8 in Pro Tools” on page 14).
For complete instructions to use Command|8 in
stand-alone mode, see Chapter 5, “Using Stand-
Alone Mode.”
Figure 4. Command|8 rear panel
In
Audio
USB
Power
Punch In
switch
MIDI
Out 1 Out 2
Main Ext LRLL RR
+4/–10 switches
Power Socket
Outputs
Source
Monitor Inputs
C8.book Page 8 Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM

Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Command|8 9
Connecting AC Power
Connect power using the included power sup-
ply cable. Command|8 is not powered through
its USB connection.
To connect power to Command|8:
1 Make sure the power switch is in the Off posi-
tion (down).
2 Connect the threaded end of the included
power supply cable to the Power socket on the
Command|8 rear panel. Use two hands, one to
insert and guide the plug in the socket, and the
other to ensure that the ring threads smoothly
and seats securely on the socket.
3 Plug the power supply into an available AC
power outlet.
Connecting USB
Command|8 communicates with Pro Tools
through a USB connection to the host com-
puter. Command|8 does not require a powered
USB connection. All power is supplied through
its AC connection.
To connect USB:
1 Start up your computer, logging in as Admin-
istrator.
2 Make sure Command|8 is powered on (see
“Connecting AC Power” on page 9 for more in-
formation).
3 Connect one end of the included USB cable to
the USB port on the rear panel of Command|8.
4 Connect the other end of the USB cable to an
available USB port on your computer.
5 When prompted to install software, see the
appropriate Windows or Macintosh installation
instructions that follow.
Installing Software for
Command|8
Command|8 software is included on your
Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM, and this software is
required to use Command|8 with Pro Tools.
The Command|8 power supply is available
in three configurations (90– 120v for Japan
and USA, 220–230 Europe, and 220 for
UK); if travelling or ordering a replacement
unit, be sure to specify the country in which
you plan to use Command|8.
Only use the included power supply cable to
connect Command|8 power. Additional
power supplies are available from your
Digidesign dealer. Use of any other cable or
power supply may damage your unit.
The Command|8 analog output section au-
tomatically mutes during power-up and
power-down.
On Macintosh systems that only intend to
use Command|8 in standalone mode, no
software installation is required (Com-
mand|8 does not require a custom driver on
Macintosh systems using standalone
mode).
C8.book Page 9 Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM

Command|8 Guide 10
Windows Software for Command|8
The Pro Tools Installer includes the option
“Command8 Controller and Driver.”
If you enabled the Command|8 option when in-
stalling Pro Tools, all software required by Com-
mand|8 is installed automatically.
If you installed Pro Tools and did not select this
option, first use your Pro Tools Installer CD-
ROM to install the required Command|8 soft-
ware. If Pro Tools was already installed, be sure
to Modify your installation. (See the
Getting
Started guide
that came with your Pro Tools sys-
tem for complete Pro Tools software installation
information.)
To install Command|8 software on Windows:
1 Connect power and USB as instructed in
“Connecting AC Power” on page 9 and “Con-
necting USB” on page 9.
2 Make sure you have already installed
Pro Tools, including the Command|8 options,
and restarted your computer. Start up your com-
puter with Administrator privileges.
3 When the Found New Hardware Wizard ap-
pears, ignore the prompt — leave the Found
New Hardware Wizard dialog open on screen.
4 Insert the Pro Tools Installer into your CD-
ROM drive.
5 Launch the Pro Tools Installer, and choose to
Modify the installed components.
6 When prompted, select the Command8 Con-
troller and Driver option.
7 When asked about driver signing, click Con-
tinue.
8 Click Finish.
9 Restart your computer.
USB Ports and Command|8 Software
If you move your Command|8 USB cable to a
different USB port on your computer, you must
reinstall the Command|8 software.
Macintosh Software for
Command|8
To install Command|8 software on Macintosh:
1 Start up your computer using your Adminis-
trator account.
2 Check to make sure the Command|8 Person-
ality file is installed (Applications / Digidesign /
Controllers/Command|8).
3 If it is not, insert the Pro Tools Installer into
your CD-ROM drive and launch the Install
Pro Tools application. Choose Custom Install
and select the Controllers option to install all
Controller Personality files.
Firmware for Command|8
Command|8 can be updated for new features
and capabilities by updating its firmware. In-
structions for updating Command|8 firmware
can be found in the Read Me document that ac-
companies each release of updated firmware.
The Pro Tools Installer creates a
Command8 folder in your Digidesign direc-
tory. This folder contains copies of all the
software you need to reinstall Command|8.
Use the contents of this folder if your
Pro Tools Installer is not available.
C8.book Page 10 Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM

Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Command|8 11
Check the Digidesign Web site (www.digide-
sign.com) for news of updated Command|8
firmware, as well as download and installation
instructions.
Connecting Analog Audio for
Monitoring
Analog audio connections let you use Com-
mand|8 for control room and headphone mon-
itoring. Analog audio connections are not re-
quired for Command|8 to control Pro Tools
mixing functions.
Monitoring Overview
Command|8 provides the following analog au-
dio connectors.
Input
•Two pairs of balanced, TRS inputs, labelled
Main and Ext Source on the rear panel of
Command|8. Each input pair is switchable be-
tween –10 dBV or +4 dBu operation.
Output
•Two channels of balanced, TRS output to con-
nect to powered speakers, a monitor amplifier
or other monitor equipment. Outputs are
switchable between –10 dBV or +4 dBu.
•One stereo Headphone output, which mirrors
the currently selected monitor input source
(see “Monitoring Controls” on page 29).
Input Connections
To monitor Pro Tools through Command|8:
1 Connect your Pro Tools stereo mix outputs
(usually Outputs 1–2) to the Command|8 Main
Left and Right monitor inputs on the back
panel. The Main inputs are balanced, TRS in-
puts.
2 Configure Main inputs for –10 dBV or +4 dBu
operation, as appropriate, using the button be-
tween the Left and Right inputs.
To be able to monitor another stereo device
through Command|8:
1 Connect the analog outputs of a CD, DAT, or
other device to the Ext Source Left and Right in-
puts on the back panel.
2 Configure the Ext Source inputs for –10 dBV
or +4 dBu operation, as appropriate, using the
button between the Left and Right inputs.
Output Connections
To connect Command|8 to your monitoring
system:
1 Be sure to mute, turn down, or power off your
monitors or monitoring system.
2 On the Command|8 top surface, turn the
Control Room Level knob all the way down.
3 Configure the Command|8 Main outputs for
–10 dBV or +4 dBu operation, as appropriate, us-
ing the –10/+4 button between the two output
ports on the back panel.
A firmware updater application and associ-
ated Read Me file are included as part of the
Command|8 software package.
The Command|8 analog audio features are
for monitoring only. Command|8 is not an
audio interface for Pro Tools systems.
The Command|8 analog output section au-
tomatically mutes during power-up and
power-down.
C8.book Page 11 Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM

Command|8 Guide12
4 Connect the Main Left and Right outputs on
the Command|8 back panel to the inputs of
powered monitors, a monitor amplifier, or other
monitor equipment.
Headphones
To connect headphones:
■Connect a pair of headphones to the Head-
phones port next to the Control Room section.
The Headphones Level knob controls head-
phone level only. This Headphone output is de-
signed to power a single pair of standard-quality
headphones, and is not designed to drive pow-
ered speakers or headphone distribution ampli-
fiers.
Connecting a Footswitch
The Punch In connector on the Command|8
rear panel supports footswitch control of Track-
Punch and QuickPunch audio punch-in and
punch-out recording features. Both continuous
on/continuous off and instantaneous on/off
pedals with a 1/4-inch TRS connector are sup-
ported.
To connect a footswitch:
■Connect a footswitch to the Punch In connec-
tor.
Connecting MIDI Devices
Command|8 provides 16 channels of MIDI in-
put and 32 channels of MIDI output through
the MIDI IN 1, MIDI OUT 1, and MIDI OUT 2
connectors on the back panel. The connectors
accept standard 5-pin MIDI cables.
Command|8 driver software, installed when you
install Pro Tools (or stand-alone) software, is re-
quired for MIDI communication to function.
These drivers are recognized by Windows Multi-
media and the Device Manager (Windows), and
by AMS (Macintosh).
Use the following instructions to integrate
Command|8 with other MIDI equipment.
To connect MIDI devices to Command|8 for
Pro Tools:
1 Using standard 5-pin MIDI cables, connect
the MIDI Out port of a MIDI keyboard or other
MIDI device to the MIDI In 1 port of your Com-
mand|8, and connect the MIDI In port of your
MIDI device or controller to MIDI Out 1 port of
your Command|8.
2 Connect MIDI Out 2 of Command|8 to the
MIDI In port of an additional MIDI device (such
as a groove box or sound module).
3 To monitor or record the audio output of your
MIDI devices within Pro Tools, connect the au-
dio outputs of your devices to available audio
inputs on your Pro Tools audio interface.
USB MIDI Communication and Command|8
Operating Modes
When connected to Pro Tools through USB,
Command|8 is recognized as a MIDI Control
Surface and MIDI interface (the Command|8
MIDI connectors are available as MIDI In and
Out ports).
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Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Command|8 13
Configuring MIDI
After connecting Command|8 and installing its
software, you may want to update your MIDI
system. This may be necessary when using Com-
mand|8 as both a control surface and as a MIDI
interface.
• On Windows, Command|8 should be auto-
matically recognized once Pro Tools and
Command|8 software is installed and the
computer is restarted. If necessary, configure
the Device Manager to enable or troubleshoot
USB MIDI devices and ports. (See “Windows
MIDI Troubleshooting” on page 17.)
• On Macintosh, configure AMS to make Com-
mand|8 MIDI ports and devices attached to
them available in Pro Tools (see “Configuring
AMS” on page 13).
Configuring Windows Device
Manager
(Windows Only)
In Windows, make sure you have enabled the
USB port for Command|8 using the Device Man-
ager. Make sure you have installed all necessary
Command|8 software. See “Installing Software
for Command|8” on page 9 for instructions.
Configuring AMS
(Macintosh Only)
On Macintosh systems, use AMS to check MIDI
communication and update your AMS setup.
To update AMS for Command|8:
1 Make sure power and USB are connected as in-
structed. (See “Connecting Command|8 to
Pro Tools and Your Computer” on page 8.)
2 Make sure you have connected any additional
MIDI keyboards or sound modules to the Com-
mand|8 5-pin MIDI ports on the back panel. (See
“Connecting MIDI Devices” on page 12.)
3 Make sure you have installed the most recent
version of Pro Tools and the included Com-
mand|8 software. (See “Installing Software for
Command|8” on page 9.)
4 Launch AMS.
5 Make sure that Command|8 is recognized, is
online, and that its three ports are available in
AMS.
6 Configure AMS for any devices attached to the
Command|8 MIDI In and Out ports by connect-
ing their device icons to the appropriate Com-
mand|8 ports.
Do not connect any AMS devices to Com-
mand|8 Port 1. Port 1 is reserved for Com-
mand|8-to-Pro Tools control surface communi-
cation.
The following shows an example AMS Setup for
Command|8 and Pro Tools, with two MIDI de-
vices attached to the back panel MIDI ports of
the Command|8. Note how Command|8 port 1
is not assigned to any external devices.
C8.book Page 13 Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM

Command|8 Guide14
The following table shows how AMS lists Com-
mand|8 MIDI ports:
7 Save and close your updated AMS setup.
Enabling Command|8 in
Pro Tools
To enable Command|8 in Pro Tools:
1 Make sure your computer, Pro Tools hardware,
and Command|8 are powered on and operating
correctly.
2 Launch Pro Tools.
3 Choose Setups > Peripherals and open the
MIDI Controllers window.
4 Choose Command|8 from the Type pop-up
menu.
5 Choose C|8 Surface (Windows) or Port 1 (Mac-
intosh) in the Receive From and Send To selec-
tors.
Command|8 port equivalents in AMS
AMS (in/out) Command|8 back panel ports
Port 1 none (reserved for control surface
communication via USB MIDI)
Port 2 Midi In 1, Midi Out 1
Port 3 Midi Out 2
See the Getting Started Guide that came
with your system, and your Apple documen-
tation, for more information about AMS.
Choosing the a port (Windows)
Choosing a port (Macintosh)
MIDI Out1 and MIDI Out2 are the back
panel 5-pin MIDI connectors. C8 Surface
(Windows) and Command|8 Port 1 (Mac-
intosh) represent the USB MIDI connection
between Pro Tools and Command|8. For
more information, see “Configuring MIDI”
on page 13.
On Macintosh, Command|8 Port 1 must
only be used for control surface communi-
cation. If using Command|8 as a MIDI in-
terface as well as a control surface, check all
MIDI tracks to make sure they are assigned
to Port 2, or Port 3. Do not assign MIDI
tracks to Port 1.
C8.book Page 14 Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:51 PM