Mackie Ultramix User manual

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SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Now, as The Band sings “Across the Great Divide,” pick the
sections that are right for you and dive in. Mac owners start
here, PC owners proceed to page 52.
If you are unsure of any standard Macintosh or PC maneuvers,
such as clicking mouses and copying files, etc., please refer to
your computer manuals—you’ll need to know those basics.
MACINTOSH SYSTEMS
You can either install UltraMix Pro by itself or with OMS or
FMS. If you are already using OMS or FMS, you should in-
stall UltraMix Pro by itself to avoid accidentally erasing your
studio setup.
NOTE: OMS and FMS are very similar in function and
setup. So we’re going to show an OMS example – FMS
will be about the same. Consult their respective manu-
als for more info.
1. Restart your Mac with Extensions off. (Hold down the
Shift key while restarting.) Insert the UltraMix Install dis-
kette and double-click on its icon.
2. Read the “Read Me” file before going any further. It may
include information that has been changed or updated since
the publication of this manual.

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3. Double-click the Installer icon.
Then you’ll see the following:
4. Click on Continue. Next you’ll see this screen:

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5. To install both UltraMix Pro and OMS, click the Install
button. To install UltraMix Pro without OMS, click on the
Custom button and choose the UltraMix Pro Only option.
6. Click Install.
7. Follow the prompt to select where you want UltraMix in-
stalled. Click Install once more, with feeling.
The installer copies UltraMix Pro, OMS Setup, the OMS sys-
tem extension, and the OMS Folder into their proper places
on your hard disk.
NOTE: The OMS system extension is placed in the Exten-
sions folder and is titled “Open Music System.” Don’t
confuse the OMS extension with the OMS Folder that is
installed directly in the System Folder. The OMS Folder
contains files such as the Mackie Device info file, which
allows OMS to support Mackie devices.

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SETTING UP OMS
1. Double-click the OMS Setup icon.
If you’re installing OMS for the first time, the following
screen will appear:
2. Click OK.
3. Check the box (Printer Port or Modem Port) correspond-
ing to the port your MIDI interface is plugged into.

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4. Click Search. You will then see the following screen,
which will show you that OMS is searching for any MIDI in-
terfaces connected to the port(s) you checked in step 3.
5. Then you’ll see a screen that indicates which interfaces
OMS found in its search. If OMS found the correct interface,
click OK.
If you run into any problems locating a MIDI interface, read
the instructions in the dialog box on-screen and heed their
advice. If you’re still having problems, inspect or replace
your cables. Also, make sure that any “thru” switches on the
MIDI interface are set to “MIDI.”

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6. Next, you’ll see this screen while OMS searches for MIDI
devices, like synths and such, that are connected to the
MIDI ports on your MIDI interface.
7. When OMS finishes this search, it will display this dialog box:
Read the instructions, and if everything’s peachy, click OK.

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8. At this point you’ll be prompted to save your OMS studio
setup. Go fer it.
OMS opens a studio setup window that lists your MIDI
interface(s).
9. Choose Preferences from the Edit menu.
You’ll then see this dialog box:

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If you use AppleTalk, make sure both of the AppleTalk-re-
lated checkboxes are checked. Uncheck the “Report serial
overrun…” checkbox. Leave the “SerialDMA” box alone—if
OMS decides your system needs this, the box will be
checked. If not, then OMS has decided you don’t need it. Do
not second guess OMS!
12. If OMS found devices in its MIDI device search, indi-
cated by the icon showing a keyboard with a question mark,
doubleclick on that icon.
If it didn’t, choose New Device from the studio menu.

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You will then see this dialog box:
12. For Manufacturer, choose Mackie, and for model, choose
Ultra-34.
13. Select Is Controller and then click underneath the num-
ber 16 in the Receive Channels field.
14. Click the box next to MIDI Time Code under the Sends
column.
The dialog box should look like it does below. Click OK.

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15. When you’re done customizing your studio setup, choose
Save from the File menu.
You can use OMS to create as many different studio setups
as you want, but OMS recognizes only one setup as current
at any given time. If you do not make your new studio setup
current, OMS (and UltraMix) may not recognize the devices
that you defined in it. If a studio setup is current, OMS will
display a diamond to the left of the studio setup name in its
window title.
12. To quit Setup, choose Quit from the File menu.
NOTE: If you have a multi-port MIDI interface, click on
the number to the left of the device you just added, as
shown in the picture below, and type the number of the
port that your Ultra-34 is connected to. Our setup shows
the Ultra-34 on port 1 and the SY-88 on port 2 of the
Studio 4 interface. Both show two-way MIDI communi-
cation with the interface.

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If you have other devices connected to your MIDI inter-
face, you should add each device to your OMS studio
setup by repeating steps 5-10, substituting the appropri-
ate manufacturer, model, and settings.
NOTE FOR FREE MIDI SYSTEM (FMS) USERS:
Please refer to the FMS owner’s manual for FMS instal-
lation and setup instructions.
DEFINING A SYNCHRONIZATION SOURCE
Unless you are using UltraMix alone (with the intent of au-
tomating only MIDI sound sources using MIDI files), you
will need an external synchronization source to lock the
timing of UltraMix to your music playback.
NOTE: Windows®95 users don’t need to worry about
defining a sync source, since that platform takes care
of it automatically. We’re saying this only so you
snoopy Windows users who haven’t yet skipped over to
page 52 won’t feel left out.
UltraMix is a MIDI-based system and therefore uses MIDI
time code (MTC) for syncing. SMPTE must be converted to
MTC using an appropriate interface or translator. SMPTE
time code may be output from one of the following:
• A spare track or dedicated address track on your analog or
digital recorder
• The address track on the video machine when doing audio
sweetening
• The SMPTE time code output from your DAW or some
other external sequencer system
Whatever the case, you must tell UltraMix which external
synchronization source to use.
Important: For UltraMix to recognize a synchronization
source, the source device must be defined in your OMS or
FMS studio setup, and its OMS/FMS device definition must
have the MIDI time code Receives and Sends boxes checked.

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mTo define a synchronization source:
1. Open UltraMix by double-clicking its icon.
2. Choose Preferences from the File menu.
3. Click on the clock icon (Sync) on the left side of the window.
4. Choose the synchronization source that you want to use
from the Timing Source dropdown menu.
The menu shows each device in your OMS/FMS studio setup
that can act as a synchronization source.
5. Make sure that Send Machine Control is selected.
If you do NOT want the UltraMix and UltraPilot transport
controls to affect the controls on your tape deck or other
external synchronization source, you can turn this option off
by clearing the Send Machine Control checkbox.
6. Close the Preferences window.
7. If you want UltraMix to remember this synchronization
setting, choose Save As Default from the File menu.

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Save As Default tells UltraMix to remember all of the cur-
rent UltraMix preferences, including the Sync Source. If you
do not choose Save As Default, you will have to define the
synchronization source each time you open UltraMix.
NOTE: Save As Default also saves several other set-
tings on your UltraMix Pro control bar, such as the
Bypass mode or fader Record mode. These same
control bar settings will come up each time you open
UltraMix Pro unless you change them, then choose the
Save As Default command.
ANOTHER NOTE: If your interface has software
patching capability, such as Mark of the Unicorn’s
MIDI Time Piece or Opcode’s Studio 4/5, set the
interface’s internal default patch to allow the com-
puter to do all the MIDI routing.
8. Go to page 59 for Final Checkout. (Unless you want to
read the Windows 95 stuff…)

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FINAL CHECKOUT
Now it’s time to make sure everything works together.
1. Open the UltraMix application (if it’s not already open).
The transport window and an untitled session window
should appear on the screen.
2. Push the BANK SELECT button on the UltraPilot (located
on the right side). The red LEDs on channels 17-32 of the
UltraPilot should light, and the glass faders on the screen
should swap banks.
3. If your external sync device supports MMC, make sure
Ext. Sync is not Bypassed. (When it’s bypassed, the Ext.
Sync button in the UltraMix transport window appears lit.
Click it to turn Bypass off.) Press the Play/Stop button on
the UltraPilot, or the spacebar on the computer keyboard.
Your tape should roll and the time code numbers in the
Transport window should increase.
If this doesn’t work, then something isn’t quite right. Read
through the setup and installation instructions again and
see if you can get things straightened out. If you’re still
stumped, check Appendix G: Troubleshooting, on page 211.
Go Ahead – Make Your First (Fader) Move
1. Move a fader on the UltraPilot. If the corresponding fader
on the computer screen moves, congratulations. You’re now
set to sail the sea of automation. If for some odd reason it
doesn’t work, again we suggest rereading the previous sec-
tions. And in that case, may we suggest liquid refreshment?