MOTU 4pre User manual

™
4pre
User Guide for Windows
1280 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Business voice: [phone]
Business fax: [phone]
Web site: www.motu.com
Tech support: www.motu.com/support

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3
Contents
Part 1: Getting Started
7
Quick Reference: 4pre Front Panel
8
Quick Reference: 4pre Rear Panel
9 Quick Reference: MOTU Audio Console
11
About the 4pre
15 Packing List and System Requirements
17
Installing the 4pre Software
19
Installing the 4pre Hardware
Part 2: Using the 4pre
31
MOTU Audio Console
35
4pre Front Panel Operation
39 Configuring Host Audio Software
45
Reducing Monitoring Latency
51
CueMix FX
75
MOTU SMPTE Console
79
Troubleshooting

4

Part 1
GettingStarted

Quick Reference: 4pre Front Panel
1. These four Precision Digital Trim™ rotary encoders
provide triple-function control over the trim level,mix volume,and pan of the XLR/TRS combo jacks on the rear panel.Push the MIX knob (2) repeatedly to cycle among the four separate mixes and trim mode.The LEDs (11) indicate the current mix,or trim mode.When a mix is active,push and hold the MIX knob to toggle between volume and pan control, as indicated by the LEDs (11). When in trim mode,use the knob and input level meters (7) to calibrate the input signal level.These knobs provide +60 dB and +22 dB of boost, respectively, for the mic (XLR) and instrument (TRS) input jacks.Adjust- ment can be made in approximately 1 dB increments.All four jacks have preamps,so you can plug in just about anything:a microphone,a guitar or even a synth.For +4 dB signals,push the knob (1) to engage the -20 dB pad. For the XLR mic input, push and hold the knob to toggle 48V phantom power. When in mix mode,use the knob to control the jack’s input volume or pan (as indicated by the LEDs,11) for the currently selected mix.
2. This multi-function knob controls volume of the 4pre’s
four mix busses (11).Push the knob repeatedly to cycle among the four mix busses,as indicated by the LEDs (11).When a mix is active,push and hold the VOL knob to toggle the individual channel knobs (1,2,3,and 4) between volume and pan control,as indicated by the “pan”LED (11),where on is pan and off is volume.
3. Turn the MAIN knob to control the main outs and the
headphone jack below the knob,which mirrors the main outs.
4. Turn the PHONES knob to control the headphone jack
volume below it.When power is off,push the PHONES knob to power on the 4pre;push and hold to turn it off. When connected to the computer via FireWire,the 4pre is powered by its FireWire connection.When connected via USB,it must be powered with the included DC power adapter.
5. These eight LEDs indicate whether the -20 dB pad or 48V
phantom power is enabled or disabled for the corre- sponding mic input (1).
6. The“line out”LEDs provide signal activity on line outputs
3 and 4.
7. Thefour input metersprovidefive-segment meteringfor
the mic inputs,ranging from -42 dB to -1 dB.
8. The MAIN OUT meters provide ten-segment ladder LED
metering for the stereo main outputs,ranging from -42 dB to clip.
9. Indicates the current operational sample rate. 10. The S/PDIF activity LEDs indicate signal presence for
input and output.
11. The Mix LEDs indicate what is being controlled by the
mix/trim knobs (1 and 2).Push the MIX knob (2) repeat- edly to cycle among the four separate mixes and trim mode.When a mix is active,the knobs control input levels for the current mix.Push and hold the MIX knob (2) to toggle between volume and pan control (pan LED off and on,respectively). When trim mode is selected,the knobs control input trim levels.
12. This is a standard quarter-inch stereo headphone jack.
From the factory,it operates as its own output pair.But it can be programmed to mirror any other output pair (digital or analog).See “Phones Assign”on page 34.Use the volume knob above to control its level.
21
10
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1112

1. These jacks provide stereo, 24-bit S/PDIF digital input
and output at any sample rate up to 96kHz.
2. These two balanced,quarter-inch jacks serve as the
4pre’s main outputs.You can connect them to a set of powered studio monitors and then control the volume from the front panel volume knob.To hear disk tracks in your audio software on these main outs, assign the disk tracks (and master fader) to these main outs (
Main Out
1-2
).You can also use the 4pre’s on-board CueMix
mixing to monitor live 4pre inputs here as well.
3. These XLR/TRS combo jacks accept either a mic cable or
a cable with a quarter-inch plug.Use the front panel mic 1-4 encoders to apply up to +60 dB or +22 dB of boost, respectively,for the mic (XLR) orTRS input.To toggle the -20 dB pad for the XLR (mic) input,push the correspond- ing front-panel mic encoder.To toggle 48V phantom power for the XLR (mic) input, push and hold the corre- sponding front-panel encoder.The TRS jacks for inputs 3-4 have higher impedance for DI guitar connections.
4. The 4pre’s analog line outputs operate as separate
outputs on balanced +4dBTRS (tip/ring/sleeve) quarter-inch connectors that can also accept an unbal- anced plug.They are equipped with 24-bit,128x oversampling converters.
5. Connect the 4pre to the computer here via either
FireWire or USB2,using either the standard 1394 FireWire A or USB cable provided with your 4pre.There’s not much difference,except that FireWire offers bus- powered operation (without the DC power supply).
Important note: it is best to turn off the 4pre when plugging in the FireWire cable,as this avoids the possibility of static discharge, which can harm the electrical components in the 4pre or your computer
.
6. This jack accepts any standard 9-18V DC power supply
with either tip-positive or tip-negative polarity.
Quick Reference: 4pre Rear Panel
3
46 5
1 2

CHAPTER
9
Quick Reference: MOTU Audio Console
Click the tabs to access general MOTU
interface settings or settings specific to
the 4pre (or other connected interface).
Device Setup in Cubase
Determines the clock source for your 4pre.If
you’re just using the analog ins and outs,
set this to Internal.The other settings are
for digital transfers via S/PDIF or synchroni-
zation to time code or other audio devices.
This menu lets you choose what you will
hear from the headphone jack.To mirror the
main outs,choose Main Out 1-2.Or you can
mirror any other output pair.To hear the
phones as their own independent output,
choose Phones 1-2.
Uncheck this option if the Windows audio
software you are using with the 4pre does
not support Windows WaveRT drivers and
instead only supports WDM drivers.
Choose the global sample rate
for the system here.
Choosing a smaller setting here reduces
the delay you may hear when listening to
live input that you are running through
effects plug-ins in your software.But
lower settings also increase the strain on
your computer.For details,see “Samples
Per Buffer”on page 33.
Click the 4pre tab to access
this setting.
This option should always be left on
(checked).There are only a few rare cases
in which you would want to turn it off.For
details,refer to the MOTU tech support
database at www.motu.com.
How to access these settings
There are several ways to access these settings:
■From theWindows Start menu,choose
Programs>MOTU>MOTU Audio Console.
■From within Cubase,go to the Device Setup
window,click the MOTU Audio ASIO list item and
and click the Control Panel button.
■From within other applications,refer to their
documentation.

10

CHAPTER
11
1
About the 4pre
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The 4pre Rear Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The 4pre Front Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
16-bit and 24-bit recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
CueMix mixing and effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Host Audio Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
OVERVIEW
The 4pre is a hybrid FireWire and USB2 audio
interface for Mac and Windows that offers six
independent inputs and eight independent
outputs. Both analog and digital I/O are offered at
sample rates up to 96 kHz. All inputs and outputs
can be accessed simultaneously. The 4pre is housed
in a sturdy, compact half-rack enclosure that
connects directly to a computer via a standard
FireWire or USB cable.
The 4pre offers the following main features:
■ Universal computer connectivity via FireWire or
high-speed USB 2.0
■ Bus-powered operation (FireWire only)
■ Two 24-bit analog quarter-inch (TRS) outputs
■ Four combo XLR/TRS mic/guitar inputs with
preamps, 48V phantom power, 20 dB pad, and
Precision Digital Trim™ preamp gain adjustment
■ Operation on all I/O at standard sample rates up
to 96 kHz
■ Digitally controlled analog trim for all analog
inputs
■ Coaxial S/PDIF digital I/O at sample rates up to
96 kHz
■
SMPTE synchronization
■ Headphone jack with independent output and
volume control
■
Extra headphone jack that mirrors the main outs
■ Front panel volume control of the main outs
■ Front-panel mixing of live inputs
■
Front panel metering and status LEDs
■
Stand-alone operation
■ Mac and Windows drivers for multi-channel
operation and across-the-board compatibility with
any audio software on current Mac and Windows
systems
■ CueMix FX cross-platform mixing software with
attractive graphic mixing and a convenient tabbed
interface for quick access to all features in one
window. CueMix also provides a full-screen real-
time FFT display, spectrogram “waterfall” display,
oscilloscope, X-Y plot, linear or polar phase
analysis, and a tuner.
With a variety of I/O formats, mic preamps and
no-latency mixing and processing of live input, the
4pre is a complete, portable“studio in a box” when
used with a Mac or Windows computer.
THE 4PRE REAR PANEL
The rear panel has the following connectors:
■
Four combo XLR/TRS mic/instrument inputs
■ Four balanced +4dB quarter-inch (TRS) analog
outputs (with 24-bit 96 kHz converters)
■ Coaxial S/PDIF in/out
■ 1394 FireWire B connector
■
High-speed USB 2.0 connector
■ DC power jack

ABOUT THE 4PRE
12
6 inputs and 8 outputs
All 4pre inputs and outputs can be used simulta-
neously, for a total of 6 inputs and 8 outputs:
All inputs and outputs are discrete and can be
active simultaneously.
The headphone output can operate as an
independent output pair, or it can mirror any other
4pre output pair, such as the line outs.
The second headphone output (labeled MAIN)
always mirrors main outs.
Mic/guitar inputs with preamps
The four mic/instrument inputs are equipped with
preamps and“combo” XLR/TRS jacks, which
accept XLR microphone inputs or quarter-inch
guitar/line inputs, as indicated below each
connector.Individual 48 volt phantom power and a
20 dB pad can be supplied independently to each
mic input. The Precision Digital Trim™ knobs on
the front panel for each mic/instrument input
provide 60 dB of boost for the XLR mic input and
22 dB of boost for the TRS input in approximately
1 dB increments.
Analog outputs
All four quarter-inch analog outputs are on
balanced TRS +4dB jacks.All of these jacks can
also accept unbalanced plugs.
Precision Digital Trim™
All of the 4pre’s mic/guitar inputs are equipped
with digitally controlled analog trims that allow
adjustments in approximately 1 dB increments
using front-panel digital rotary encoders or the
CueMix FX control software for Mac and
Windows, with 60 dB of adjustment for the mic
input and 22 dB for the TRS input.This allows you
to fine-tune trim settings for guitars,synths,effects
modules and a wide variety of analog inputs for
optimum levels. Different trim configurations can
then be saved as files on disk for instant recall.
S/PDIF
The 4pre rear panel provides coaxial
S/PDIF input and output.
SMPTE time code synchronization
The 4pre can resolve directly to SMPTE time code
via any analog input, without a separate
synchronizer. It can also generate time code via any
analog output. The 4pre provides a DSP-driven
phase-lock engine with sophisticated filtering that
provides fast lockup times and sub-frame
accuracy.
The included MOTU SMPTE Console™ software
provides a complete set of tools for generating and
regenerating SMPTE time code, which allows you
to slave other devices to the computer. Like
CueMix FX, the synchronization features are
cross-platform and compatible with any audio
software that supports the ASIO 2 or 3 sample-
accurate sync protocol.
Hybrid FireWire/USB2 connectivity
FireWire has long been recognized as a reliable,
high-performance connectivity standard for
professional MOTU audio interfaces. Meanwhile,
high-speed USB2 has also developed into a widely
adopted standard for connecting peripheral
devices to personal computers.
To fully support both formats, your 4pre Hybrid
audio interface is equipped with both a 9-pin
FireWire B (400 Mbit/sec) connector and a hi-
speed USB2 (480 Mbit/sec) connector,and you can
use either port to connect the 4pre to your
Connection Input Output
Analog 24-bit 96 kHz on bal/unbal TRS - 4
Mic preamps 24-bit 96 kHz on XLR/TRS combo 4 -
SPDIF 24-bit 96kHz digital 2 2
Stereo headphones with independent output - 2
Total 6 8

ABOUT THE 4PRE
13
computer. This gives you maximum flexibility and
compatibility with today’s ever-expanding
universe of Mac and Windows computers.
The 4pre has the ability to power itself from its
FireWire connection to the computer, for
convenient, mobile bus-powered operation.
Power supply
If you do not want the 4pre to draw power from the
computer, and AC power is available, you can
power the 4pre from any standard 9-18V, 5 watt
DC power supply with any polarity (tip positive or
negative).
THE 4PRE FRONT PANEL
Front-panel trim adjustment and mixing
The six digital rotary encoders on the 4pre front
panel provide hands-on trim adjustment and
mixing of all four mic inputs. In fact, these controls
provide control of up to four separate mixes. Use
the volume and trim/mix knobs to control input
volume for each mix; push the MIX knob to cycle
among the four different mixes, plus trim mode,
which lets you adjust input trim for each across all
mixes.
48V phantom power and pad
The four TRIM/MIX knobs let you toggle
independent 48V phantom power and -20 dB pad
settings for the four mic inputs. See “Mic/guitar
inputs with preamps” on page 12.
Main volume control with dedicate headphone
output
The 4pre front panel provides two independent
headphone jacks with independent volume knobs,
one of which also controls the main outs on the
rear panel.Alternately, this MAIN knob can be
programmed to control any combination of
outputs (analog and/or digital).
Status and metering LEDs
The LED section provides visual indication of
audio levels, audio activity status, and the current
settings for all front-panel controls.
16-BIT AND 24-BIT RECORDING
The 4pre system handles all data with a 24-bit
signal path, regardless of the I/O format.You can
record and play back 16-bit or 24-bit audio files at
any supported sample rate via any of the 4pre’s
analog or digital inputs and outputs. 24-bit audio
files can be recorded with any compatible host
application that supports 24-bit recording.
CUEMIX MIXING AND EFFECTS
All 4pre inputs and outputs can be routed to the
on-board CueMix 8-bus (4 stereo) digital mixer
driven by hardware-based DSP. The mixer allows
you to mix all inputs to any output pair directly in
the 4pre hardware, independent of the computer.
The on-board mixer can be used when the 4pre is
operating stand-alone (without a computer) as a
complete portable mixer.
INCLUDED SOFTWARE
The 4pre software installer provides the following
including cross-platform software applications for
Mac and Windows.
MOTU Audio Console
MOTU Audio Console provides access to basic
hardware settings, such as sample rate, headphone
output channel selection, and other settings.
MOTU SMPTE Console
MOTU SMPTE Console provides access to the
4pre system’s SMPTE time code synchronization
features, including locking to time code,
generating time code, displaying a time code read-
out, and so on.

ABOUT THE 4PRE
14
CueMix FX
CueMix FX gives you complete control over the
4pre’s CueMix FX on-board mixer, which provides
no-latency monitoring, mixing of live inputs
through your 4pre.
CueMix FX provides attractive graphic mixing, a
convenient tabbed interface for quick access to all
mixing features, digitally controlled trims and
other settings in your MOTU audio interface.
CueMix FX provides many advanced features, such
as an accurate instrument tuner and an extensive
arsenal of audio analysis tools, including a real-
time FFT, spectrogram“waterfall”display,
oscilloscope, and phase analysis tools.
HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE
The 4pre system ships with standard Windows
drivers that allow you to record,edit, play back and
mix your 4pre projects using your favorite
Windows audio software.

CHAPTER
15
2
Packing List and System
Requirements
PACKING LIST
The 4pre ships with the items listed below. If any of
these items are not present in your 4pre box when
you first open it, please immediately contact your
dealer or MOTU.
■ One 4pre I/O rack unit
■
One 9-pin to 9-pin IEEE 1394 “FireWire” cable
■ One USB cable
■ One set of removable rack mounting brackets
■ One 4pre Mac/Windows manual
■ One cross-platform CD-ROM
■ Product registration card
WINDOWS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The 4pre system requires the following Windows
system:
■ A 1 GHz Pentium-based PC compatible or faster
equipped with at least one USB2 or FireWire port
■ 1 GB RAM; 2 GB or more recommended
■ Windows 7 or Vista, 32- or 64-bit; Vista SP 2 or
later required
■ Available FireWire or high-speed USB 2.0 port
■ A large hard drive (preferably at least 250 GB)
PLEASE REGISTER TODAY!
Please register your 4pre today. There are two ways
to register.
■
Visit www.motu.com/register
OR
■
Fill out and mail the included product
registration card
As a registered user, you will be eligible to receive
technical support and announcements about
product enhancements as soon as they become
available. Only registered users receive these
special update notices, so please register today!
Thank you for taking the time to register your new
MOTU products!

PACKING LIST AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
16

CHAPTER
17
3
Installing the 4pre Software
OVERVIEW
Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
MOTU Audio drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
MOTU Audio Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
CueMix FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
MOTU SMPTE Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
INSTALLATION
Before you connect the 4pre to your computer and
power it on, run the 4pre software installer. This
ensures that all the 4pre components are properly
installed in your system.
☛
If you’ve already connected the 4pre to your
computer and powered it on,Windows may issue
an alert notifying you that the 4pre requires
drivers, followed by another window asking you to
locate the drivers. If this happens:
1 Cancel the driver search.
2 Power off and disconnect the 4pre.
3 Run the MOTU Audio Installer as instructed in
the next section.
Run the MOTU Audio installer
Install the 4pre software as follows:
1 Insert the MOTU Audio Installer disc; or, if you
have downloaded the MOTU Audio installer,
locate the folder containing the download.
2 Read the Read Me file for installation assistance
and other important information.
3 Open the Setup Audio application.
4 Follow the directions that the installer gives you.
Drivers are installed, along with MOTU Audio
Console, CueMix FX, and other components,
summarized in the table below.
Software component Purpose For more information
MOTU audio drivers Provides multi-channel audio input and output for MOTU
FireWire and USB Audio devices with host audio software.
“MOTU Audio drivers” on
page 18
MOTU Audio Console Provides access to all of the settings in the 4pre and other MOTU
interfaces. Required for 4pre operation.
chapter 5, “MOTU Audio Con-
sole” (page 31)
CueMix FX Gives you complete control over the 4pre’s CueMix FX on-board
mixer, which provides no-latency monitoring, mixing and analysis
of live inputs through your 4pre.
chapter 9, “CueMix FX” (page 51)
MOTU SMPTE Console Provides access to the 4pre system’s SMPTE time code sync fea-
tures.
chapter 10, “MOTU SMPTE Con-
sole” (page 75)

INSTALLING THE 4PRE SOFTWARE
18
MOTU AUDIO DRIVERS
ASIO
ASIO is an acronym for Audio Streaming Input and
Output
. The MOTU Audio ASIO driver provides
multi-channel audio input and output for
applications that support ASIO audio drivers, such
as Ableton Live, Avid Pro Tools, Cakewalk SONAR,
Cockos Reaper, Propellerhead Reason and Record,
Steinberg Cubase and Nuendo, and others.
For details about using the 4pre with ASIO, see
chapter 7,“Configuring Host Audio Software”
(page 39).
WDM
WDM is an acronym for Windows Driver Model .
The MOTU Audio WDM driver provides
multi-channel audio input and output for
applications that support WDM audio drivers.
For details about using the 4pre with WDM, see
chapter 7,“Configuring Host Audio Software”
(page 39).
WaveRT
Uncheck this option if the Windows audio software
you are using with your MOTU audio interface
does not support Windows WaveRT drivers and
instead only supports WDM drivers.
MOTU AUDIO CONSOLE
MOTU Audio Console (available in the Start
menu) gives you access to all of the settings in the
4pre, such as the clock source and sample rate. For
complete details, see chapter 5,“MOTU Audio
Console” (page 31).
CUEMIX FX
CueMix FX (available in the Start menu) provides
control over the 4pre’s no-latency CueMix FX on-
board mixing, an instrument tuner, a full-featured
oscilloscope, and other audio analysis tools. For
details, see chapter 9,“CueMix FX” (page 51).
MOTU SMPTE CONSOLE
MOTU SMPTE Console (available in the Start
menu) software provides a complete set of tools to
resolve the 4pre to SMPTE time code, and to
generate time code for striping, regenerating or
slaving other devices to the computer. For details,
see chapter 10,“MOTU SMPTE Console”
(page 75).

CHAPTER
19
4
Installing the 4pre Hardware
OVERVIEW
Here’s an overview for installing the 4pre:
Important note before you begin! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Take these precautions to prevent damage to your
computer, the 4pre and other equipment.
Connect the 4pre interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Connect the 4pre to the computer.
Connect audio inputs and outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Make analog and digital connections as desired.
Connect and sync S/PDIF devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connect a DAT deck, effects processor or other
device with digital I/O, but be sure to make the
correct clock source settings.
Power options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Choose from among several convenient options.
A typical 4pre setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
An example setup for computer-based mixing/FX.
Connect multiple MOTU interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Connect additional 4pre or other audio interfaces.
IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE YOU BEGIN!
Before you begin installing the 4pre (or any bus-
powered device), take these important
precautionary measures to avoid damaging the
sensitive electrical components in your computer,
the 4pre or other devices being connected:
■Tu r n of f t he comp ut e r.
■Turn off the 4pre (push and hold the phones
volume knob).
■Turn off the power of any other devices.
■Touch the metal casing of the 4pre to discharge
any static electricity that you may be carrying just
before the installation.
After you have made all of the necessary
connections, as described in this chapter, turn on
the devices in this sequence:
1. Turn on the computer.
2. Turn on the 4pre.
3. Turn on other devices connected to the 4pre.

INSTALLING THE 4PRE HARDWARE
20
CONNECT THE 4PRE INTERFACE
Your 4pre audio interface is equipped with both a
9-pin FireWire B (400 Mbit/sec) connector and a
hi-speed USB2 (480 Mbit/sec) connector, and you
can use either port to connect the 4pre to your
computer. This gives you maximum flexibility and
compatibility with today’s ever-expanding
universe of Mac and Windows computers.
Type B FireWire ports
The 4pre has a FireWire 9-pin Type B port, which
provides the most reliable FireWire connection
available. The port operates at 400 Mbit/s, and it
can be connected to any available FireWire port on
your computer: Type A (6-pin), Type A“mini” (4-
pin), or Type B (9-pin). If your computer has
FireWire Type B ports, use the included 9-pin-to-
9-pin FireWire cable. If your computer has either
standard Type A ports or miniature Type A ports,
use the appropriate 9-pin-to-6-pin or 9-pin-to-
4-pin FireWire cable (sold separately).
Which should I use: FireWire or USB2?
If your computer does not have a FireWire port,
then obviously you will need to connect the 4pre to
one of its high-speed USB 2.0 ports.
If your computer has both FireWire and USB2,
then it is your choice, and your decision may
depend mostly on other peripherals you may also
have, or bus power, as explained below.
Bus-powered operation requires FireWire
There is only one significant difference between
FireWire and USB2 operation: bus power. FireWire
provides enough power on the FireWire bus that
the 4pre can be powered solely by its FireWire
connection to the computer. For complete
information, see “Bus power requirements” on
page 23.
If you use USB2, you must also use the DC power
supply included with your 4pre, as USB2 does not
supply enough power by itself.
If you are connecting via FireWire
1Before you begin, make sure your computer and
the 4pre are switched off.
2Plug one end of the 4pre FireWire cable
(included) into the FireWire socket on the
computer.
3Plug the other end of the FireWire cable into the
4pre I/O.
☛Make absolutely sure to align the notched side
of the FireWire plug properly with the notched side
of the FireWire socket on the 4pre. If you attempt to
force the plug into the socket the wrong way, you
can damage the 4pre.
High Speed USB 2.0 versus USB 1.1
There are primarily two types of USB host
controllers widely available on current personal
computers. USB 1.1 controllers support simple
peripherals that don’t require a high speed
connection, such as a computer keyboard, a
mouse, or a printer. USB 2.0 controllers support
high speed devices such as the 4pre. Since the 4pre
requires a high speed connection, it must be
connected to a USB 2.0 host controller or hub.
For the most reliable connection, it is
recommended that you connect the 4pre directly to
one of your computer’s USB 2.0-compatible ports.
However, since USB 2.0 hubs are compatible with
both types of devices,the 4pre can be connected to
a USB 2.0 hub along with USB 1.1 devices if
necessary. The 4pre will not operate properly if it is
connected to a USB 1.1 hub.
Follow these instructions to determine whether
your computer supports USB 1.1 or USB 2.0:
1Open the Windows Control Panel, and choose
Hardware and Sound.
2In the Devices and Printers section,click Device
Manager.