Echo Mona User manual

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MONA
Owner’s Manual Version 1.1 for PC
Mona is designed and manufactured in the U.S. by Echo Corporation

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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 Mona 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 Mona. Do not install or operate Mona near sources of water or
moisture such as sinks, damp basements, leaky roofs, etc.
6. Heat - Mona 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 Mona. If you are unsure
about the type of power at your location, contact your local power company.
8. Grounding - Precautions should be taken so that the grounding
capabilities of the Mona 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 - 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 Mona.

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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

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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®is a registered trademark of Echo Digital Audio Corporation
Mona, Layla®24, Layla®, Gina®24, Gina®, Darla®24 and Darla®are trademarks of Echo Digital Audio
Corporation
ADATis a registered trademark of Alesis Corporation
Windows®, Windows ‘95®, Windows ‘98®, and Windows NT® are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc.

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TableofContents
Introduction 7
What You Should Have Received in the Mona Box 7
System Requirements 7
Mona Installation 8
System Check 8
System Sounds 9
Installing the Mona Hardware 9
Connecting to Mona’s Rack-mount Interface 12
Installing the Mona Software Drivers 18
Mona Audio Input & Output Devices 22
The Echo Console 23
Console Controls 24
Monitor Controls 25
Output Controls 27
Adjusting Record and Playback Levels 27
Setting Clock Sources and Destinations 28
Synchronizing Multiple Devices 28
Digital Mode Switch 31
View ADAT Ctrls 31
The File Menu 32
The Preferences Page 33
Digital I/O – Selecting the S/PDIF Output Format 34
Digital I/O – Dither Input 34
General – Sync Wave Devices 35
General – External Box Warning 35
Sample Rate Lock 36
Additional Configuration Settings 37
Show console on taskbar 38
Monitor during playback 38
SAW Compatibility Mode 38
Multi-client audio 39
DirectSound Settings 40

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TableofContents
Installing Cool Edit Pro



Special Edition 41
Cool Edit Pro: Assigning Mona’s Inputs & Outputs 42
Cool Edit Pro: Optimizing Multitrack Performance 43
Contacting Customer Service 45
Appendix A: The Echo ReporterSoftware 46
Appendix B: General Troubleshooting Guide 53
Appendix C: Resolving Interrupt Conflicts 57
Appendix D: DirectSound FAQ 63
Appendix E: Multi-client audio FAQ 65
Appendix F: Audio Software FAQ 68
Appendix G: An Introduction to Digital Recording 72
Appendix H: Specifications 80
Index 82

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Introduction
Thank you for choosing the Mona 24/96 Digital Studio. We think you’ll
find Mona to be an extremely flexible, high-performance tool for your
computer-based hard disk recording system.
What You Should Have Received in the Mona Box
When you opened the Mona box, you should have found the following:
• A Mona PCI card wrapped in an anti-static cover
• A Mona rack-mount audio interface box
• A Mona interface cable
• A CD-ROM containing the Mona Windows 95/Windows 98
Drivers, the Echo Reportersystem analysis software, Syntrillium
Software’s Cool Edit ProSpecial Edition multitrack recording
and editing software, and demo versions of digital audio recording,
editing, and processing software from a variety of manufacturers
• The Mona owner’s manual
• Four adhesive backed rubber feet and four mounting screws with
collars.
System Requirements
In order to use Mona you’ll need the following:
• An IBM-PC or compatible computer with PCI architecture
expansion slots (version 2.1 PCI), a genuine Intel Pentium or faster
CPU, a motherboard with an Intel chipset, and minimum 64Mb
RAM (more highly recommended) running Windows 95 or
Windows 98
• A fast, high-capacity IDE or SCSI hard disk drive
• Peripheral audio equipment, such as a microphones, studio
monitors, musical instruments, etc.

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Mona Installation
Complete Mona installation consists of performing a system check,
disabling Windows system sounds, installing the Mona PCI card,
connecting the rack-mount audio interface to the card, installing the Mona
Windows drivers into your system and, if necessary, installing a multitrack
audio recording/editing application.
System Check
The first thing you should do is check the display settings for your
computer. The Mona Echo console software requires a minimum resolution
of 800X600 with small fonts to display properly.
To check your display settings, go to the Windows Control Panel, which
can be found under Settings from the Start button. In the Control Panel
window you will find an icon titled “Display.” After double clicking on
this icon, the Display Properties window will appear. Click the Settings
tab at the top right of this window. At the bottom right of the window you
will see a box labeled Desktop area or Screen area. Inside the box is a
slider that allows you to select different resolutions for your monitor. You
should set the resolution to at least 800x600 and click the Apply button.
At this point, Windows will display a dialog box that will either ask you to
restart windows or will merely tell you it is about to resize your desktop.
Click the OK button. Windows will now resize your desktop, either on the
fly or by restarting Windows. If it resizes on the fly, it will ask if you want
to keep this setting. Click Yes. If Windows restarted, you will need to open
the Display Properties window again and click the Settings tab. You
should see a drop down window labeled “Font Size.” If you do not, then
click the Advanced button on the bottom right of the window. Make sure
this is set to Small Fonts. If it isn’t, select Small fonts and click the Apply
button. Windows will now restart. If you really need to use large fonts,
then you should have a minimum resolution of 1024x768.
Next, you should consider the capabilities of your hard drive. Unless it is
more than a year old, you should be fine. If it is older, or you would just

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like to check it out, then turn now to Appendix A: The Echo reporter
Software and follow the directions there. When you are done, return here.
System Sounds
There is one final step to perform before installing the Mona hardware. We
suggest that you turn off your Windows system sounds prior to installing
Mona. Because most system sounds are sampled at very low sample rates,
typically 8 to 11 KHz, each time they are played it will cause the sample
rate clock on Mona 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”. 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.
Installing the Mona Hardware
Once you have verified that there are no problems with your system, it is
time to install Mona into your computer.
IMPORTANT - Unplug your computer and detach all peripherals before
proceeding with the following steps.
1. 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.
2. Select the PCI slot into which you will install the Mona 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 Mona. Unscrew and remove the bracket covering the
expansion slot where you would like to install Mona. Put the screw in a
safe place, as you will need it later to complete the installation.

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3. Insure that you have fully discharged all static electricity from your body
before handling the Mona 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.)
4. Remove the Mona 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.
5. Use the screw removed earlier from the protective backplate to attach the
metal bracket at the back of the Mona card to the computer’s rear panel.
6. OPTIONAL: If you don’t have a Darla24 or Gina24, you can skip this
step. If you have a Darla24 or Gina24, this would be a good time to attach
an Esync cable to the Mona PCI card. Esync is a proprietary form of
super clock that allows you to sync together multiple 24-bit Echo
products. Esync cables come with Darla24 and Gina24, and can be used
to daisy chain several 24-bit Echo cards together. Simply attach the
Esync cable to the two prong “Esync Out” connector on the Mona PCI
card, and attach the other end to the “Esync In” connector on your
Darla24 or Gina24 PCI card.
7. 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 Mona installation.
8. Locate the Mona rack-mount interface and the 9-pin interface 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

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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 9-pin connector on the Mona 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.
Caution: Never connect the rack-mount interface to the computer while
either the interface or your computer is turned on.
9. You can now attach external audio devices to the rack-mount box. Mona
can accommodate four analog input signals and can generate six
independent analog output signals. In addition, Mona provides word
clock sync, stereo S/PDIF digital input and output via coaxial RCA or
optical connectors, and eight channels of ADAT optical I/O. The analog
and digital inputs and outputs on Mona are simultaneously active, except
that the digital mode must be set to either S/PDIF or ADAT. The S/PDIF
and ADAT I/O cannot be used simultaneously.This allows you to record
up to 12 channels of audio (four analog and eight digital) while playing
back 14 channels (six analog and eight digital) in ADAT mode, or record
up to 6 channels (four analog and two digital) while playing back 8
channels (six analog and two digital) in S/PDIF mode. Additional
information on attaching external devices to Mona may be found in the
Connecting to Mona’s Rack-mount Interface section. (NOTE: When
connecting devices to the S/PDIF jacks on Mona, do not use standard
analog RCA audio cables. For reliable S/PDIF operation, 75ohm coaxial
video cables are recommended).

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Connecting to Mona’s Rack-mount Interface
The back panel of Mona’s rack-mount 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 – 60 dB)
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 +60 dB. The input impedance of the mic preamps is
1.5K.

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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.
Mona’s Line Input (1/4” TRS, Impedance: 10K, Trim:
0 – 40 dB)
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 40 dB.
The input impedance for line-level signals is 10K. Full-scale input is 22dBu
with the trim set to zero.

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Mona’s Guitar Input (1/4” Plug, Impedance: 100K,
Trim: 10 – 50 dB)
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 50 dB. 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 –3 dB (or
within 3 dB of clipping). The three yellow bars each represent a range of 3
dB and the green bars each represent a range of 6 dB.
It is a good idea to 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 0 dB 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.

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Each of Mona’s 6 outputs has one RCA and one XLR connector for your
convenience. The RCA jack outputs a –10dBV (unbalanced) signal, while
the XLR jack outputs a +4dBu (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 and, if necessary, should only
be replaced by a special Mona cable available only from Echo.

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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: Mona 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 Mona Echo Console. For more information, see
the appropriate section in this manual under the heading “The Echo
Console.”
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 Mona.

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When connecting devices to the S/PDIF jacks on Mona, the use of standard
analog RCA audio cables is not recommended. For reliable S/PDIF
operation, 75ohm 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 Mona to another Mona, Layla or Layla24 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 75 ohm cables with Mona.

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Installing the Mona Software Drivers
Now that you have completed the hardware installation, you need to install
the software drivers that allow Mona to interact properly with Windows
95/98 and your audio recording application.
Turn on the power to your computer’s CPU. After Windows 95/98 starts up,
it will automatically sense the newly installed Mona card and indicate, via a
pop-up Install Wizard window, that new hardware has been found. At this
point, you should insert the Mona CD-ROM disc.
If you are using the original version of Windows 95:
Within the Install Wizard window are several options. Select the option
Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer. The computer
will now prompt you for the location of the driver files. These files are
located in the root directory of the Mona CD-ROM. Click the Browse
button in the Install Wizard; this will cause the “Install From Disk”
window to appear. In the field labeled “Copy manufacturer’s files from:”,
enter the path D:\ (depending on your system configuration, your CD-ROM
drive may use a letter other than “D”). Click on OK to complete the
installation. Now skip over the next two paragraphs.
If you are using Windows 95 OSR2:
After you have inserted the Mona CD-ROM disc and clicked next, you’ll
see the message, “Windows found the following updated driver for this
device, Mona by Echo.”Click on the Finish button and Windows will
attempt to locate the drivers on a disk labeled “Echo Install Disk.”This is
caused by a bug in Windows 95 OSR2. So what you’ll see is a not-so-nice
error message marked with a big red X. Ignore Windows’rude behavior and
click on the OK button. This will bring you to the Copying Files . . .
window. Within the window is a field labeled Copy Files From: into which
you’ll need to enter the path name for the Mona drivers. Type in the letter
name of your CD-ROM drive followed by :\ (for example, D:\). Click on
OK, and Windows will complete the driver installation routine. Now skip
over the next paragraph.

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If you are using Windows 98:
After you have inserted the Mona CD-ROM disc and clicked next, you’ll
see the message, “What do you want Windows to do?”Below that are two
radio buttons. If it isn’t already selected, select the one labeled “Search for
the best driver for your device (Recommended)”. Click on the Next button
and a dialog will appear with several check boxes indicating places where
Windows will look. Since you are installing from your CD-ROM drive,
click on the appropriate box. Be sure all other boxes are unchecked. Click
on the Next button and Windows will locate the drivers on the install disk
and show you the Copying Files . . . window as it completes the driver
installation.

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After the drivers are installed, you should verify that Windows recognizes
them. You can do this by checking in the Windows Control Panel as
follows:
Begin by clicking on the Windows Start button. Then select Settings,
followed by Control Panel. Now double-click on the icon labeled System.
At the top of the System window, you will see a tab labeled Device
Manager; click on the tab. Now locate the line labeled Sound, Video, and
Game Controllers. Double-clicking on the “+”to the left of the line’s
associated icon should reveal the line Mona by Echo; double-click on that
line. If everything is in working order, a message should now appear on
your screen that matches the picture below. In the center of the Mona
Properties window will be a section called “Device Status.”Look for a
message that reads: “This device is working properly.”If you see it, give
yourself a hearty pat on the back for a job well done!
Proper installation of the Mona drivers will result in the
message, “This device is working properly.”