Echo LAYLA24 User manual

LAYLA

24
LAYLA


LapTop
LapTopLapTop
LapTop
MONA™ MONA™ LapTop
LapTop LapTop
LapTop
GINA

24
MIA™
Owner’s Manual Version 3.0 for Windows
Designed and Manufactured in the U.S. by Echo Corporation

Important Safety Instructions
1. Read Instructions - Be sure to read all of the safety and operating instructions
before operating this product.
2. Retain Instructions - The safety instructions and owner's manual should be
retained for future reference.
3. Heed Warnings - All warnings on your Echo product and in the Owner's
Manual should be followed.
4. Follow Instructions - All operating and use instructions should be followed.
5. Moisture - Water and moisture are detrimental to the continued good health of
your Echo product. Do not install or operate your Echo product near sources of
water or moisture such as sinks, damp basements, leaky roofs, etc.
6. Heat – Your Echo product should be situated away from sources of heat such as
heaters or radiators.
7. Power Sources - This unit should be operated only from the type of power
source indicated in this documentation or on your Echo product. If you are unsure
about the type of power at your location, contact your local power company.
8. Grounding – (does not apply to Mia) Precautions should be taken so that the
grounding capabilities of the unit are not undermined. This equipment is provided
with a cord having an equipment grounding conductor and grounding plug. This
plug must be plugged into an outlet that is properly installed and grounded in
accordance with all local rules and ordinances. Do not modify the plug provided
with the equipment. If the plug will not fit into your outlet, have a proper outlet
installed by a qualified electrician.
9. Power Cord Protection – (does not apply to Mia) Power supply cords should
be routed so that they are unlikely to be walked on or pinched by items placed
upon or against them. Pay particular attention to protecting the plugs, outlets, and
the point at which the cord exits your Echo product.
10. Servicing - Do not attempt to service this unit yourself, as opening the case
will expose you to hazardous voltage or other dangers. All servicing should be
referred to qualified service personnel.
11. Damage Requiring Service - Unplug this unit and refer it to a qualified
service technician when any of the following occur:
a) Objects have fallen or liquid has spilled into the unit
b) The product has been exposed to rain or water
c) The product does not operate normally or when a marked change in
performance is noticed
d) The product has been dropped or damaged in any way

Sending in your registration card – or registering online at http://www.echoaudio.com/register.html - allows us to
register key information so that we may handle problems faster and inform you of advance information on upgrades
and other news. Thanks in advance for filling out your registration card and sending it to us. We hope you enjoy
your Echo product.
Limited Warranty
Echo Digital Audio Corporation warrants this product, when purchased at an Authorized Echo Dealer in the United
States of America, to be free of defects in materials and manufacturing workmanship for a period of one year from
the date of original purchase. During the warranty period Echo shall, at its option, either repair or replace any
product that proves to be defective upon inspection by Echo. Final determination of warranty coverage lies solely
with Echo. Echo reserves the right to update any unit returned for repair, and reserves the right to change or improve
the design of the product at any time without notice.
This is your sole warranty. Echo does not authorize any third party, including any dealer or sales representative, to
assume any liability on behalf of Echo or to make any warranty for Echo.
Service and repairs of Echo products are to be performed only at the factory (see below) unless otherwise authorized
in advance by the Echo Service Department. Unauthorized service, repair or modification will void this warranty.
To obtain factory service:
Contact Echo Digital Audio Corporation at [phone], 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday (Pacific Time). If
necessary, you will be given a return authorization number. Products returned without an RA number will be
refused. Echo may, at its option, require proof of the original date of purchase in the form of a dated copy of the
original authorized dealer’s invoice or sales receipt. Pack the product in its original shipping carton and attach a
description of the problem along with your name and a phone number where Echo can contact you if necessary.
Ship the product insured and freight prepaid to:
Echo Digital Audio Corporation
6460 Via Real
Carpinteria, CA 93013
DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF WARRANTY
Echo makes no other warranties, express, implied, or otherwise, regarding Echo products, and specifically disclaims
any warranty for merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The exclusion of implied warranties is not
permitted in some states and the exclusions specified herein may not apply to you. This warranty provides you with
specific legal rights. There may be other rights that you have which vary from state to state.
In no event will Echo be liable for any lost profits, or for any consequential, direct or indirect damages, however
caused and on any theory of liability, arising from this warranty and sale.
©2000 by Echo Digital Audio Corporation
6460 Via Real
Carpinteria, CA 93013
Echo®, Layla®24, Layla LapTop®, Mona, Mona LapTop, Gina®24, and Miaare trademarks of Echo Digital
Audio Corporation.
ADATis a registered trademark of Alesis Corporation.
Windows®, Windows 98®, Windows Me®, Windows XP®, and Windows 2000® are registered trademarks of
Microsoft, Inc.

INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................6
WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IN THE BOX ...............................................6
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................................7
INSTALLATION...................................................................................................8
SYSTEM SOUNDS ...................................................................................................8
VXD VS. WDM - DECIDING WHICH DRIVER TO INSTALL.....................................8
INSTALLING THE PCI CARD FOR DESKTOP COMPUTERS........................................9
INSTALLING THE CARDBUS ADAPTER FOR LAPTOP COMPUTERS.........................12
CONNECTING TO LAYLA24’S RACK-MOUNT AUDIO INTERFACE..14
CONNECTING TO MONA’S RACK-MOUNT AUDIO INTERFACE........18
CONNECTING TO GINA24’S AUDIO INTERFACE ...................................23
CONNECTING TO MIA ....................................................................................25
USING AUDIO SOFTWARE – GINA24, LAYLA24, AND MONA..............26
USING AUDIO SOFTWARE – MIA.................................................................28
MIA’S VIRTUAL OUTPUTS ...................................................................................29
CONSOLE3 (WDM)............................................................................................30
CONSOLE WINDOW..............................................................................................30
BUS SELECT.........................................................................................................31
MASTER OUTPUT BUS CONTROL ..........................................................................31
ANALOG INPUTS..................................................................................................32
DIGITAL INPUTS...................................................................................................33
PLAYBACK STRIPS...............................................................................................33
VIRTUAL OUTPUTS..............................................................................................33
ADJUSTING PLAYBACK VOLUME.........................................................................34
CLOCK AND DIGITAL MODE SETTINGS..................................................................34
SYNCHRONIZING MULTIPLE DEVICES..................................................................34
CONSOLE SETTINGS.............................................................................................38
DRIVER................................................................................................................38
LOCKING THE SAMPLE RATE ................................................................................38
SYNCHRONIZE WAVE DEVICES.............................................................................39
DIGITAL I/O.........................................................................................................39
GSIF ...................................................................................................................40
ABOUT.................................................................................................................40
VXD CONSOLE – GINA24, LAYLA24, AND MONA....................................41
CONSOLE CONTROLS...........................................................................................42
MONITOR CONTROLS...........................................................................................42
OUTPUT CONTROLS.............................................................................................44
ADJUSTING MONITOR AND PLAYBACK LEVELS...................................................44
SETTING CLOCK SOURCES AND DESTINATIONS...................................................45
SYNCHRONIZING MULTIPLE DEVICES..................................................................45

THE FILE MENU...................................................................................................48
THE PREFERENCES PAGE.....................................................................................49
DIGITAL I/O - SELECTING THE S/PDIF OUTPUT FORMAT ...................................49
DIGITAL I/O - DITHER INPUT...............................................................................50
SAMPLE RATE LOCK............................................................................................50
VXD CONSOLE - MIA.......................................................................................51
INPUT CONTROLS ................................................................................................52
MONITOR CONTROLS...........................................................................................52
VIRTUAL OUTPUT CONTROLS..............................................................................54
OUTPUT CONTROLS.............................................................................................55
ADJUSTING MONITOR AND PLAYBACK LEVELS...................................................55
SETTING CLOCK SOURCES AND OUTPUT CONTROLS ...........................................55
SYNCHRONIZING MULTIPLE DEVICES..................................................................56
THE FILE MENU...................................................................................................58
THE PREFERENCES PAGE.....................................................................................58
DIGITAL I/O - SELECTING THE S/PDIF OUTPUT FORMAT ...................................59
DIGITAL I/O - DITHER INPUT...............................................................................59
SAMPLE RATE LOCK............................................................................................60
ADDITIONAL CONFIGURATION SETTINGS (VXDDRIVERS)..................................61
SHOW CONSOLE ON TASKBAR..............................................................................62
MONITOR DURING PLAYBACK..............................................................................62
SAW COMPATIBILITY MODE................................................................................62
MULTI-CLIENT AUDIO..........................................................................................63
DIRECTSOUND/GSIF SETTINGS ..........................................................................63
CUBASIS VST......................................................................................................65
INSTALLING CUBASIS ..........................................................................................65
LAUNCHING CUBASIS VST AND ASSIGNING INPUTS & OUTPUTS:.......................65
CONTACTING ECHO CUSTOMER SERVICE ............................................67
CONTACTING STEINBERG CUSTOMER SERVICE.................................67
APPENDIX A: GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE ........................68
APPENDIX B: RESOLVING IRQ CONFLICTS - WINDOWS 98/ME......71
APPENDIX C: MULTI-CLIENT AUDIO FAQ...............................................77
APPENDIX D: WDM-WINDOWS DRIVER MODEL FAQ.........................79
APPENDIX E: AN INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL RECORDING...........82
APPENDIX F: SPECIFICATIONS ...................................................................87

Introduction – all products
6
Introduction – all products
Introduction
Thank you for choosing Echo Digital Audio. We think you’ll find your Echo
product to be an extremely flexible, high-performance tool for your computer-
based hard disk recording system.
What You Should Have Received in the Box
When you opened the box, you should have found the following:
•A PCI card wrapped in an anti-static cover OR a
CardBus Adapter
•An audio interface box (Layla24, Mona, and Gina24 only)
•Four adhesive backed rubber feet (Layla24, Mona, and Gina24 only)
•Four mounting screws with collars (Layla24 and Mona only)
•An interface cable (Gina24, Layla24, and Mona only)
Please note: The cable included with the Gina24 system is a shielded
audio cable that has been custom manufactured to exacting standards.
Use of any other cable, such as a computer printer cable, will
substantially reduce the system’s overall audio quality.
•A power cable (Layla24 and Mona only)
•An Esync cable (Gina24 only)
•A CD-ROM containing:
•Windows 98/Me/2000/XP Drivers
•Macintosh Drivers
•.PDF Users Guide
•Steinberg’s Cubasis VST multitrack recording and editing
software, Windows and Macintosh versions.
•Demo versions of digital audio recording, editing, and processing
software from a variety of manufacturers
.
•Quick Start Guide

Introduction – all products
7
Introduction – all products
System Requirements
In order to use Layla24, Mona, Gina24 or Mia you’ll need the following:
•A desktop computer one of the following:
•A genuine Intel Pentium processor and genuine Intel chipset OR
•An AMD Athlon or Duron processor with one of the following chipsets:
•Via KX-133
•Via KT-133
•Via KT-133a
•AMD 760/761
•a minimum 128Mb of RAM (256Mb highly recommended)
•A fast, high-capacity IDE or SCSI hard disk drive
•Windows 98/Me/2000/XP
•Peripheral audio equipment, such as a mixer, microphones, studio monitors,
musical instruments, etc.
In order to use Layla24 LapTop or Mona LapTop, you’ll need the following:
•A laptop computer with a Type II CardBus Slot
•a minimum 128Mb of RAM (256Mb highly recommended)
•A fast, high-capacity IDE or SCSI hard disk drive
•Windows 98/Me/2000/XP
•Peripheral audio equipment, such as a mixer, microphones, studio monitors,
musical instruments, etc.

Installation – all products
8
Installation – all products
Installation
Complete installation consists of disabling Windows system sounds, deciding
which Echo driver you are going to use, installing the Windows drivers into your
system, installing the PCI or CardBus card, connecting the audio interface to the
card (Layla24, Mona, and Gina24) and, if necessary, installing a multitrack audio
recording/editing application.
System Sounds
We suggest that you turn off your Windows system sounds prior to installing your
Echo product. Because most system sounds are sampled at very low sample rates,
typically 11 to 22 KHz, each time they are played it will cause the sample rate
clock on your Echo product to reset to the slower speed.
To turn off the system sounds, first go to the Windows “Control Panel,” which can
be found under “Settings” from the “Start” button. On the control panel you will
find an icon titled “Sounds” or “Sounds and Multimedia”. After double clicking
on this icon, you will see a window labeled “Schemes” near the bottom of the
screen. Click on the small down arrow to the right of the combo-box, and select
the “No Sounds” option. Then, click on the Ok button.
VxD vs. WDM - Deciding Which Driver to Install
VxD and WDM are two different driver architectures for Windows. You only
have a choice between the two if you are using Windows Me. If you are using
Windows 98, you must use the VxD drivers. If you are using Windows 2000 or
XP you must use the WDM drivers.
For Windows Me you should use the VxD drivers, unless you fall under one or
both of the following two categories:
1) You are using an audio program such as Cakewalk’s SONAR, which takes
advantage of the WDM architecture to achieve low latencies.
2) You are using an audio program that uses an ASIO driver. In general, the
WDM ASIO driver provides higher performance than the VxD driver.
For a detailed discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of the WDM architecture,
please read Appendix D: WDM-Windows Driver Model FAQ.

Installation – all products
9
Installation – all products
Installing the PCI Card for Desktop Computers
Once you have verified that there are no problems with your system, it is time to
install the Echo PCI card into your computer.
1. Install the drivers. You should do this before inserting the PCI card. Insert
the Echo Install CD-ROM into your machine. The Main Install Window
should automatically appear; if it does not, simply go to “My Computer,” and
double-click on your CD-Rom drive icon. Now, select “Install Windows
Drivers,” and follow the on-screen directions.
2. Once you have installed the appropriate driver for your version of Windows,
turn your computer off.
IMPORTANT - Unplug your computer and detach all peripherals before
proceeding with the following steps.
3. Remove your computer’s cover. This operation differs from computer to
computer. Refer to your computer’s manual for a further explanation of this step
if necessary.
4. Select the PCI slot into which you will install the card. Inside your computer
you will likely find two types of expansion slots, ISA and PCI. The PCI slots
will be shorter and have a higher connector pin density than the ISA slots. You
may use any of the available PCI slots in your computer for the card. Unscrew
and remove the bracket covering the expansion slot where you would like to
install your Echo product. Put the screw in a safe place, as you will need it later
to complete the installation.
5. Insure that you have fully discharged all static electricity from your body
before handling the card. This can be done through the use of a grounding strap
or, more simply, by touching your bare hand to the metal casing of the
computer’s power supply. (For this latter method to work, the computer must be
plugged in, though not turned on.) After you’ve discharged your static, unplug
the computer before proceeding to the next step.
6. Remove the card from its protective anti-static bag. Handle the card carefully by
its edges, and insert it into the selected expansion slot. Insure that the card’s
edge connector (the protruding edge with the gold leads) is seated firmly into
the slot. Centering the card over the slot and using a gentle rocking motion
while pushing downward into the slot generally works well. Be careful not to
force the card into the slot, or bend or twist it while it is being inserted, as this
could result in the card being damaged.

Installation – all products
10
Installation – all products
7. Now use the screw that you removed earlier, from the protective back plate, to
attach the metal bracket on the card to the computer’s rear panel.
8. OPTIONAL: (If you have Mia, skip this step.) Esync cables come with Darla24
and Gina24, and can be used to daisy chain several 24-bit Echo cards together.
Esync is a proprietary form of super clock that allows you to sync together
multiple 24-bit Echo products. Simply attach the Esync cable to the two-prong
“Esync Out” connector on the Layla24/Mona/Gina24 PCI card, and attach the
other end to the “Esync In” connector on your Darla24 or Gina24 PCI card.
9. Replace the computer’s cover, and secure it. Reattach its power supply cord
and reconnect any peripherals that you may have removed prior to beginning the
installation.
10. (If you have Mia, skip this step.) Locate the audio interface box (Layla24,
Mona, and Gina24), the interface cable, and the power cable. Securely mount
the interface into your equipment rack (Layla24 and Mona). If you will not be
mounting the box in a rack, remove the backing from the four rubber feet and
place one in each bottom corner of the interface unit. Then be sure to locate the
rack-mount box in a secure location.
Plug one end of the cable into the connector on the Echo PCI card that now
protrudes through the back panel of your computer, and secure the cable using
the built-in screws located on both sides of the connector. Attach the other end
of the cable to the rear of the interface and fasten the cable securely with the
screws. Plug the power cable firmly into the interface and a power socket, but
do not turn on the interface at this time (Layla24 and Mona).
Caution: Never connect the rack-mount interface to the computer while either
the interface or your computer is turned on.
11. You can now attach external audio devices to the connectors. Information
on attaching external devices to your particular interface may be found in the
following sections.
12. Layla24 and Mona only – Turn on your Layla24 or Mona audio interface
box.
13. Turn on your computer. Once Windows starts, it should find new hardware
and begin to install the drivers. For most versions of Windows, this process is
entirely automatic. For Windows XP, you should select the option “Install the
software automatically,” and follow the on-screen directions.

Installation – all products
11
Installation – all products
Note: This version of the WDM driver has not been digitally signed by
Microsoft; for Windows 2000 and XP, you will need to confirm that you
want to install an unsigned driver.

Installation – all products
12
Installation – all products
Installing the CardBus Adapter for Laptop Computers
Once you have verified that there are no problems with your system, it is time to
install Layla24 LapTop or Mona LapTop into your laptop computer.
1. Install the drivers. You should do this before inserting the CardBus Adapter.
Insert the Echo Install CD-ROM into your machine. The Main Install Window
should automatically appear; if it does not, simply go to My Computer and
double-click on your CD-Rom drive. Now, select “Install Windows Drivers,”
and follow the on-screen directions.
2. Once you have installed the appropriate driver for your version of Windows,
turn your computer off.
3. Locate the rack-mount interface, the 9-pin interface cable, and the power cable.
Securely mount the interface into your equipment rack. If you will not be
mounting the box in a rack, remove the backing from the four rubber feet and
place one in each bottom corner of the interface unit. Then be sure to locate the
rack-mount box in a secure location.
4. Connect the cable. Before installing the card into the computer, connect the
cable between the card and the rack-mount chassis. Make sure the cable is
fully inserted into the card and that it “clicks” into place. You may have to
wiggle it a bit for this to happen.
5. Insert the LapTop adapter into your computer. Make sure the computer is
turned off. To install the card, insert it into any available CardBus slot. Next,
turn on the audio interface box.
6. Turn on your computer. Once Windows starts, it should find new hardware
and begin to install the drivers. For most versions of Windows, this process is
entirely automatic. For Windows XP, you should select the option “Install the
software automatically,” and follow the on-screen directions.
Note: this version of the WDM driver has not been digitally signed by
Microsoft; for Windows 2000 and XP, you will need to confirm that you
want to install an unsigned driver.
Once the driver is installed, a small “PCCard” icon will appear in the system
“tray” (usually on the lower right-hand side of the screen).

Installation – all products
13
Installation – all products
While it is possible to “hot-dock” the card by inserting it with the laptop powered
up, it is recommended the card only be inserted or removed with the power off. If
you have to remove the card with your computer turned on, the card must first be
disabled. To do this, click on the PCCard icon in the tray, and tell Windows to
stop the card. You will get a message when it is safe to remove it. Failure to
disable the card before removing it could potentially damage the card or the
computer.

Audio connections – Layla24
14
Audio connections – Layla24
Connecting to Layla24’s Rack-mount Audio Interface
The back panel of Layla24’s rack-mount audio interface contains a wide variety of
connections that allow great flexibility in the operation of Layla24. For optimal
performance with Layla24, it is critical to use the appropriate cabling and
connectors.
Analog Inputs and Outputs
Layla24 has eight analog inputs and eight analog outputs on the rear panel. The
input and output connections can accept unbalanced or balanced signals via ¼”
connectors. For more information see “Unbalanced and Balanced Inputs and
Outputs” in Appendix E.
Layla24’s front panel has a ¼” headphone output jack with a corresponding
volume knob which monitors analog outputs 1 and 2.

Audio connections – Layla24
15
Audio connections – Layla24
The Computer Connector
Next to the analog inputs and outputs is a connector labeled COMPUTER. This
connector is known as a DB-9, and is similar to the serial port on a PC. It is the
point at which the audio interface connects to the Layla24 PCI card inside your
computer.
A cable was supplied with your Layla24 for this purpose. This custom made cable
is manufactured to certain specifications; if you need to replace it, you should only
use a replacement cable from Echo.
ADAT / S/PDIF Optical I/O
Next to the COMPUTER connector is a pair of connectors labeled OPTICAL,
IN and OUT. These connectors are used to transmit digital data among digital
audio devices via an optical signal.
You can use this port for ADAT (8 channels) or for optical S/PDIF (stereo) I/O.
Note: Layla24 is only capable of transmitting or receiving one type of
digital signal at a time. You must choose either ADAT optical or S/PDIF
(optical or RCA); you cannot use both simultaneously. The Digital Mode
Switch can be found in the Layla24 Console. For more information, refer to
the section of the manual that discusses the console.

Audio connections – Layla24
16
Audio connections – Layla24
S/PDIF
Next to the ADAT connectors is a pair of connectors labeled S/PDIF,IN and
OUT. These S/PDIF connectors are used to transmit digital data among digital
audio devices via an electrical signal. S/PDIF data can use the full 24-bit sample
width used internally on Layla24.
When connecting devices to the S/PDIF jacks on Layla24, the use of standard
analog RCA audio cables is not recommended. For reliable S/PDIF operation, 75-
ohm coaxial (RG59) video cables are recommended.
Word Clock
Next to the S/PDIF ports are the Word Clock connectors. These connectors allow
you to synchronize one Layla24 to another Layla24, Layla, Mona or to other
digital audio devices.
The Word Clock I/O uses a BNC connector. As with the S/PDIF I/O, a shielded
75-ohm (RG-59) coaxial video cable should be used. BNC connectors are widely
used in the electronics industry for both video and computer networking.
However, computer networks use 50-ohm (RG-58) coaxial cables and not the 75-
ohm (RG-59) cable used by video. For reliable word clock operation, use only
video grade cables with Layla24.

Audio connections – Layla24
17
Audio connections – Layla24
MIDI
The last set of connections to the Layla24 interface is for MIDI. The MIDI ports
can be used for receiving MIDI time code (MTC), or sending MIDI signals from
your digital audio/MIDI sequencing software to external sound modules, etc.
MIDI cabling is highly standardized and widely available.

Audio connections – Mona
18
Audio connections – Mona
Connecting to Mona’s Rack-mount Audio Interface
The back panel of Mona’s rack-mount audio interface contains a wide variety of
connections that allow great flexibility in the operation of Mona. To achieve the
optimal performance with Mona, it is critical that the appropriate cabling and
connectors are used.
Analog Inputs and Outputs
Mona has four analog inputs on the front panel, and six analog outputs on the back
panel. The universal input connections can accept balanced or unbalanced signals
via ¼” or XLR connectors. Since Mona has built-in preamps, you can just plug
your microphone or guitar cable right into any of Mona’s analog inputs. No
external preamp or mixer is needed!!
Mona’s “universal” inputs can be thought of as three inputs in one: a microphone
input, a line input, and a guitar input.
Mona’s Mic Preamp Input (XLR, Impedance: 1.5K, Trim: 20
– 60dB)
To use a microphone with Mona, plug the microphone’s XLR cable into any of the
analog inputs. Whenever an XLR cable is connected to an input, the microphone
preamp is enabled and the gain range of the trim knob is set to range from +20 to
+60dB. The input impedance of the mic preamps is 1.5K.
Mona provides 48 volts of phantom power for microphones that require it. To
enable phantom power press the button labeled +48V (the LED next to it will light
up) and phantom power will be provided to all microphone inputs.
Note: Phantom power will not be applied to any line level equipment or
guitars plugged in using ¼” connectors.

Audio connections – Mona
19
Audio connections – Mona
Mona’s Line Input (1/4” TRS, Impedance: 10K, Trim: 0 –
40dB)
When a ¼” connector is plugged into Mona’s universal input jack, the microphone
preamp is disconnected and a line input amplifier is inserted in its place. If the
GUITAR switch is out, the line input provides a balanced connection (for TRS
plugs) and the trim knob has a range of 0 to 40dB. The input impedance for line-
level signals is 10K. Full-scale input is 22dBu with the trim set to zero.
Mona’s Guitar Input (1/4” Plug, Impedance: 107K, Trim:
10 – 50dB)
An input impedance of 10K is too low to record non-active guitar pickups, so each
input also has its own GUITAR switch. When the GUITAR switch is pushed in
(green indicator lit), the input impedance is increased to 107K and the trim knob
has a range of 10 to 50dB. The indicator will only light up if there is a ¼”
connector plugged into the jack. This mode will still provide a balanced input
when a TRS connector is inserted.
If you want to adjust the level of any input, just turn the knob for that input and
watch the corresponding level meter on Mona’s front panel. The red bar at the top
will light anytime the input signal is greater than –3dB (or within 3dB of clipping).
The three yellow bars each represent a range of 3dB and the green bars each
represent a range of 6dB.

Audio connections – Mona
20
Audio connections – Mona
For optimal audio quality, you should adjust the input trim (knob) so that your
loudest recorded signal lights up some of the yellow bars, but not the red. If the
signal level ever exceeds 0dB the signal will be “clipped” and you will hear a
“pop” or “tick” in the recording. This is a very bad thing, and clipping should be
avoided at all costs! Mona has enough headroom so that you can be conservative
in this area and there is no need to push the input levels right up to the edge of
clipping.
Mona’s front panel also has a ¼” headphone output jack with a corresponding
volume knob which monitors analog outputs 1 and 2.
Each of Mona’s 6 outputs has one RCA and one XLR connector for your
convenience. The RCA jack outputs a –10 dBV (unbalanced) signal, while the
XLR jack outputs a +4 dBu (balanced) signal. Both connectors are active at all
times, so the output signal will always go out of both jacks.
The Computer Connector
Next to the analog inputs and outputs is a connector labeled COMPUTER. This
connector is known as a DB-9, and is similar to the serial port on a PC. It is the
point at which the audio interface connects to the Mona PCI card inside your
computer.
A cable was supplied with your Mona for this purpose. This custom made cable is
manufactured to certain specifications; if you need to replace it, you should only
use a replacement cable from Echo.