Mixman DM2 User manual

USER MANUAL

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome………………………………………………………………………….. 2
System Requirements……………………………………………………………2
Installation………………………………………………………………………… 3
Calibration……………………………………………………………………. 3
Registration…………………………………………………………………..3
Running the DM² CD-ROM…………………………………………………….. 4
Tutorial Help Movie……………………………………………………………… 4
Song Selection Screen…………………………………………………………. 4
Selecting a Music Mix………………………………………………………. 4
Mixes…………………………………………………………………………. 4
Get More Music……………………………………………………………… 5
Help…………………………………………………………………………… 5
Quit……………………………………………………………………………. 5
Remixing Studio Screen………………………………………………………… 5
Help System………………………………………………………………….. 5
Loading Track Files…………………………………………………………..6
Playing Tracks……………………………………………………………….. 6
Locking and Unlocking Tracks………………………………………………6
Soloing Tracks………………………………………………………………. 7
Scratching……………………………………………………………………. 7
W.A.R.P. …………………………………………………………………….. 8
Macros……………………………………………………………………….. 8
Crossfader…………………………………………………………………… 9
Transformer………………………………………………………………….. 9
Audio Options……………………………………………………………. 10
Customizing Mixes………………………………………………………… 10
Recording Custom Sounds…………………………………………… 11
Using Mixman Soundiscs……………………………………………... 11
Recording a Performance………………………………………………… 11
Saving Your Mix……………………………………………………………. 11
Open Mix…………………………………………………………………… 12
Exporting a Mix……………………………………………………………. 12
Advanced Options…………………………………………………………. 13
Recording Studio Screen……………………………………………………….16
Record a New Sound………………………………………………………. 16
Troubleshooting…………………………………………………………………..17
Mixman Concepts………………………………………………………………. 19
Mixman Radio…………………………………………………………………… 20
Notices…………………………………………………………………………… 22
Warranty…………………………………………………………………………. 23

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Welcome
Welcome to the Digital Music Mixer (DM²) User Manual. The DM2turns your PC
into a dynamic mixing studio, packed with high-tech tools and unique features. If,
after reading this manual, you still have questions, or need up-to-the-minute
information, please visit our web site, www.playdigitalblue.com/tech_support.
You can also send us email at [e-mail].
System Requirements
Before installing the DM2, verify that your system meets the following minimum
requirements:
* PentiumII 233 MHz or faster
* An available USB port (Most computers manufactured after June 1998 are USB
enabled)
* Windows98,WindowsMe, Windows® 2000, or Windows® XP
* 32 MB of RAM (64 MB or more recommended)
* 400 MB of free hard drive space
* 8X CD-ROM
* SVGA Monitor supporting 800 x 600 display and16-bit color
* 16-bit Sound Blastercompatible or 100% Windowscompatible sound card
and speakers
* Standard mouse and keyboard
* Computer microphone required for voice recording (not included)
Getting the best performance from your PC
The DM2is a real-time, high-performance application that uses all the power of
your PC. We have included a list of the different components of the computer
system, and how they affect the performance of the DM².
Processor Speed
The speed of the computer’s processor is most dramatically seen when engaging
the Wideband Audio Realtime Processing or “W.A.R.P.” effects. The time it takes
to add complex effects (“FX”)processing to sound is directly related to the speed
of the processor.
RAM
All sounds that are loaded into theDM2are stored in RAM. The amount of
available RAM determines how much sound can be loaded in at any given time.
Longer sounds require more RAM. Certain tracks require more RAM than others.
If you are experiencing difficulties in loading all tracks, you may need to install
more RAM in order to enable all tracks to load completely.

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Note: For best performance, close all unnecessary applications
before installing or running this program.
Installation
To install the DM2:
1. Insert the DM2CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.
2. If the AutoPlay feature is enabled, the program will start automatically. To
launch the install program manually, click Start on the Windowstaskbar and
select Run. Type d:\Setup.exe. (where “d:” refers to your CD-ROM drive).
3. When the installation screen appears, select “InstallDM2 Software”.
4. Follow the directions in the Setup program.
5. Plug the DM2 controller into your USB port when prompted at the end of the
program installation.
Calibration
Following the installation of the program you will be asked to plug the DM²
controller into the USB port on your computer. After plugging in the controller,
click OK. You will now be asked to calibrate the Crossfader and W.A.R.P.
joystick controller to ensure that each responds correctly to your direction.
Follow the on-screen prompts to calibrate these functions. If, after the initial
calibration, you notice that the W.A.R.P. joystick or Crossfader is not responding
correctly, you can re-calibrate them by selecting Start/Programs/DM²/Calibrate
DM² Controller from the Windows® taskbar.
After installation and calibration are complete, you’ll find an icon for DM² in the
DM² menu item within Programs under the Start menu on the Windows® taskbar
as well as on the desktop.
Registration
We strongly encourage registering your copy of theDM2. It is an invaluable way
for us to learn about our users and allows us to continue creating the best
possible music software on the market. You can register your software at any
time by selecting theRegister for Upgrade and Free Mixman Single from the DM²
Program group. You may also register at any time at www.mixman.com/dm2.
NOTE: The DM2 software has been specifically created to run with theDM2
controller. While some functions can be accessed using the computer keyboard,
this can negatively impact the program’s performance and is not recommended.

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Running the DM² CD-ROM
1.Insert the DM2 CD-ROM disc into your drive. (The CD-ROM is needed only if
you selected a custom install and have not installed all the Track Files).
2.Be sure the DM2 controlleris plugged into the computer’s USB port.
3.Select Start/Programs/DM²/Start DM² from the Windows® taskbar.
4.Or, if the CD-ROM is already inserted, just double-click the DM2 icon on your
Windows® desktop.
Tutorial Help Movie
After you launch the DM² software, you will be shown a video that will
demonstrate the highlights of using the controller and software to remix music.
You can close the video and launch the DM² program at any time by pressing the
Start DM² Now button. When the video is complete, click the Yes button to begin
using the program. You can review the video again by selecting thePlay Help
Movie from the Help menu in the Song Selection screen.
Song Selection Screen
Selecting aMusic Mix
Along the bottom of the screen, you can choose to review songs from six music
styles by clicking on one of the following choices: House, Drum & Bass, Techno,
Hip-Hop, Trance and Grab Bag. After clicking on a music style, five song disc
icons will appear.To hear a sample of each song, place your mouse cursor over
a disc. Click on a disc to load that song into the Remixing Studio. You are now
ready to start mixing music.
You can select from the following menu options along the top of the Song
Selection Screen:
•Mixes :
1)Create New Mix –Provides you with 16 blank tracks in the
Remixing Studio. No music or sound will be available in the
Remixing Studio until a new sound is recorded or a new track is
loaded.
2)My Mixes –Provides you with access to your saved Mixes.
3)Mixman Singles –Provides you with access to all the Mixman
Singles available on your CD-ROM.

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•Get More Music:Accesses your web browser to go to the
www.mixman.com/dm2 web site to download additional music (Internet
connection required). The Mixman Singles included in the DM² are remixable
songs from artists and producers around the world. Individual sound elements
from the master tape of a song are converted into Mixman .trk (track) files and
packaged together as one file. Each Mixman Single comes with a complete
set of sixteen .trks (tracks) ready to use in any Mixman software.
Additional Mixman Singles can be downloaded from the Internet. They will
come as self-executing files that will be placed in your Mixman Singles
directory. Note: many of these tracks are not “royalty free” and are intended
for personal use only. To see the copyright status of any given track, double
click on any track and view the Track Copyright information section in the
lower left of the Load Track Dialog. Mixman Singles are available at
www.mixman.com.
•Help:The Song Selection screen help options include the following helpful
tools for learning how to use the DM².
Play Help Movie
Open Manual
Quickstart Guide
Credits
•Quit:Exits the program.
Remixing Studio Screen
Now you’re ready to start performing music. As you enter the Remixing Studio
you will notethat the screen closely resembles the DM² controller. In many cases
you will be able to use either your mouse cursor or the controller to select the
same features. The menu options above and below the controller image are only
accessible with the use of your cursor.
Help System
Click the Help button in the upper right hand corner of the screen to turn on the
help dialog boxes. When the Help is highlighted, you can place your mouse
cursor over any functional area on the screen and a detailed explanation of that
function will appear. Click the Help button a second time to turn off the dialog box
help.

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Loading Track Files
The controller includes two round decks or turntables with eight Track buttons on
each turntable.The song you selected will automatically be loaded into the 16
audio tracks. On the screen, you will see a blue highlight move around the track
buttons as each track loads. Depending upon your computer system, this may
take several seconds. Wait until all the tracks have been loaded before starting
your mix.
Playing Tracks
To play an audio track, press and hold down a track button on the DM² controller.
On-screen a yellow highlight will appear on the selected track button. When you
release the button, the audio will stop playing.
Locking and Unlocking Tracks
To lock a track so that it will continue to play without being held down, press and
hold down a track button and either of the center lock buttons at the same time.
You can lock down any or all of the 16 tracks at once. A locked track is
represented with a green highlight.

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To unlock a track, push the desired track button and a Lock button at the same
time.
Soloing Tracks
A solo is when a single track plays while other tracks are muted. To solo a track,
press the track button you want to solo, then press and hold the Solo button
located between the two turntables.To stop soloing and continue playing the
other locked tracks, simply release the Solo button.
Scratching
Scratching has long been a part of the bag of DJ tricks. Traditional scratching is
produced when a DJ rhythmically moves a record back and forth very quickly on
a turntable. The sound created is a combination of the sound on the record and
the pattern of movement from the DJ.
Scratching sounds using the DM2is simple. On the controller, there are two
scratch rings, one on the outer edge of each turntable.
To scratch a sound:
1.Make sure the sound you want to scratch is locked.
2.Rotate the scratch ring back and forth to create an effect.
Note: The speed of your rotationwill effect the scratch sound. The DM2 offers
several ways to do scratching. Using the Options menu located along the top of
the Remixing Studio screen, you can select from eight mode settings for
scratching:
1. Default -Use the most recently played Track as the scratch sound. The
scratch sound will be stereo and one beat long. This is the factory default
setting.
2. 1BeatMono-Use the most recently played Track as the scratch sound. The
scratch sound will be mono and only one beat long.
3. 2Beat -Use the most recently played Track as the scratch sound. The
scratch sound will be stereo and two beats long.
4. 4Beat-Use the most recently played Track as the scratch sound. The
scratch sound will be stereo and four beats long.
5. AlwaysUseDefaultSounds -Always use the default scratch.wav files as the
scratch sounds. (customizing scratch.wav is possible, but not recommended for
beginners.)

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6. LastBeat -Use the audio playing from each turntable as the scratch sounds.
(all currently locked tracks). The scratch sound will be the audio that you just
heard (one beat ago).
7. ThisBeat -Use the audio playing from each turntable as the scratch sounds
(all currently locked tracks). The scratch sound will be the audio that you heard
four beats ago (which will probably sound like the audio that is about to play
when you start scratching).
8. Tiny -Use the most recently played Track as the scratch sound (all currently
locked tracks). The sound will be mono and only 1/2 beat. Use this setting for
computers with low RAM.
W.A.R.P.
With the explosion of new technology, today’s DJs have many ways to alter the
sounds of the records they play. One such tool is theFX box. These devices
come in a variety of shapes and styles, but all have one thing in common; they
are designed to alter the sound of the music being played.
The DM2 has a built in FX box that enables you to alter the music while it's
playing. This is what as known as a real-time FX. To control the W.A.R.P. FX,
simply move the W.A.R.P.joystick controller while music is playing. Depending
on the W.A.R.P. preset being used, the joystick will have a different effect on the
music.
There are three preset W.A.R.P. FX for you to use. To change between the
W.A.R.P. FX:
1. While playing, press one of the three W.A.R.P. preset buttons on the DM2
controller.
To change which presets are available:
1.Press the stop button on the DM2 controller.
2.Use your mouse cursor to double-click on an on-screen W.A.R.P. button.
3.Select a preset from the dialog box.
Note: W.A.R.P. presets can also be changed by right-mouse-clicking on a
W.A.R.P. preset.
Macros
Macros are snapshots of track combinations. Macros can be assigned one at a
time or at any time, as long as you’re playing a mix.

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1.To create a macro, select a combination of tracks then hold down one of the
four Macro buttons on the lower left of theDM2controller for about two
seconds to take a snapshot.
2.Press one of the four Macro buttons to switch between Macro settings.
Crossfader
One of the universal features of every DJ mixer is the Crossfader. The
Crossfader controls the volume of the turntables. When the Crossfader is all the
way to the left, only the left turntable is heard. When the Crossfader is moved
toward the center, more of the right turntable audio is heard. When the
Crossfader is in the center, both turntables are at full volume. As the Crossfader
moves toward the right, the left turntable gets softer. When the Crossfader is all
the way to the right, only the right turntable is heard.
Experiment with the Crossfader, slowly moving it back and forth while both
turntables have sounds locked.
Transformer (A and B Buttons)
One of the more popular DJ techniques is called transforming. This technique
usually involves two records, one record with a beat, and the other with a
sustained voice. With both records playing, the Crossfader is set so that only the
beat can be heard. Then the DJ rhythmically taps on the Transformer button
nearest the turntable with the voice. This makes the sound of the voice with the
rhythm of the tapping.
To use the Transformer feature of the DM2:
1.While playing, lock sounds on both turntables.
2.Move the Crossfader all the way left or right.
3.Now, tap on the Transformer button (A or B) opposite the Crossfader.
These A and B buttons allow you to override the Crossfader and quickly
maximize volume on either side of the deck.
Examples:
A ----------[]----------B
A deck volume = 100
B deck volume = 100
In this case, pressing either button would have no effect.
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