MOTU UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid User manual

™
UltraLite- mk3 Hybrid
User Guide for Mac
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Cambridge,MA 02138
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III
Contents
5
QuickReference:UltraLite-mk3HybridFrontPanel
6 QuickReference:UltraLite-mk3HybridRearPanel
7
QuickReference:MOTUAudioSetup
9
AbouttheUltraLite-mk3Hybrid
15
PackingListandMacSystemRequirements
17 InstallingtheUltraLite-mk3HybridHardware
29
InstallingtheUltraLite-mk3HybridMacSoftware
33
MOTUAudioSetup
39
UltraLite-mk3HybridFrontPanelOperation
47
DigitalPerformer
51
AudioDesk
55
OtherMacOSXSoftware
61 ReducingMonitoringLatency
67
CueMixFX
109
MOTUSMPTEConsole
113
Troubleshooting
115
Index

IV

QuickReference:UltraLite-mk3HybridFrontPanel
1. ThisXLR/TRScombojackacceptseitheramiccableora
cablewithaquarter-inchplug.Itisequippedwith approximately+60dBofboostforthemic(XLR)input and+32dBofboostfortheinstrument(TRS)input. SeparatesettingsaremaintainedfortheXLRandTRS inputsforsavingwithpresets.TheXLR(mic)inputcan alsobesuppliedwith20dBpadand48Vphantom power.
2. ThesetwoPrecisionDigitalTrim™rotaryencoders
provide+60dBand+32dBofboost,respectively,for themic(XLR)andinstrument(TRS)inputsonthefront andrearpanel.Adjustmentcanbemadeinapproxi- mately1dBincrements.Bothhavepreamps,soyoucan pluginjustaboutanything:amicrophone,aguitaror evenasynth.For+4dBsignals,usetherearpanelTRS inputs.Usethetrimknobandinputlevelmeterinthe LCDtocalibratetheinputsignallevel.FortheMic(XLR) input,PushtheTRIMencodertotogglea20dBpad;push andholdtotoggle48Vphantompower.
3. TurntheVOLknobtocontroltheheadphonevolume.The
LCDprovidesvisualfeedbackfortheheadphonevolume settingasyouturntheknob.Pushtheknoboncetoview thecurrentvolumesettingintheLCDdisplay;pushit againtocontroltheUltraLite-mk3’sMASTERVOLUME setting.Fromthefactory,MASTERVOLUMEcontrolsthe (TRS)MAINOUTS1-2ontherearpanel,butMASTER VOLUMEcanbeprogrammedtocontrolanycombination ofoutputs.See“TheMonitorGroup”onpage90for details.
4. Whenpowerisoff,pushtheVOLknobtopoweronthe
UltraLite-mk3;pressandholdtoturnitoff.When connectedtothecomputerviaFireWire,the UltraLite-mk3ispoweredbyitsFireWireconnectionto thecomputer.WhenconnectedviaUSB,itmustbe poweredwiththeincludedDCpoweradapter.
5. Themulti-purposebacklitLCDprovidesmeteringforall
oftheUltraLite-mk3’sinputsandoutputs.Italsogives youaccesstotheUltraLite-mk3’sbuilt-inmixerand othersettings.Thereareeightindependentstereomix busses.Eachmixesallinputs(oranysubsetyouwish)to astereooutputofyourchoice.Thefourknobstotheright oftheLCDcorresponddirectlytothefourlabeled sectionsoftheLCD.PushthePARAMETERknobrepeat- edlytocyclethroughthethreemainLCDdisplaymodes: METER,CUEMIXandSETUP. METERmodeprovideslevelmetersforeachinputand output.ThelabelsaboveandbelowtheLCDrefertoallof theUltraLite-mk3’sinputsandoutputs(bothanalogand digital). CUEMIXmodeletsyouprogramtheUltraLite-mk3’son- boardCueMixFXmixer.UsetheCHANNELknobto choosetheinput,outputormixyouwishtoedit.Pushit toswitchamonginputs,outputsandbusses,thenturnit
tochoosethedesiredchannelorbus.UsethePAGE, PARAMandVALUEknobstoaccessthesettingsforthe chosenchannel. SETUPmodeletsyouaccessgeneralsettings.Usethe PARAMETERknobtobrowsesettings,andusetheVALUE knobtoadjustthem.
6. Thisisastandardquarter-inchstereoheadphonejack.
Fromthefactory,itsoutputmatchesthemainoutson therearpanel.Butitcanbeprogrammedtomirrorany otheroutputpair(digitaloranalog).Itcanevenbe programmedtoserveasitsownindependentoutput. Usethevolumeknobabovetocontrolitslevel.
7. PushtheTRIMrotaryencodertotogglethe20dBpad
independentlyforeachmicinput.Holditinmomen- tarilytotoggle48Vphantompowerindependentlyfor eachmicinput.
1 2 5
56
3
7
4

1. ConnectaMIDIdevicehereusingstandardMIDIcables.
ConnecttheUltraLite-mk3’sMIDIOUTporttotheMIDIIN portontheotherdevice.Conversely,connectthe UltraLite-mk3’sMIDIINporttotheMIDIOUTportonthe otherdevice.Youcanconnectdifferentdevicestoeach port,suchasacontrollerdevicetotheINportanda soundmoduletotheOUTport.Youcanalsodaisy-chain MIDIdevices,butbesuretomanagetheirMIDIchannels (sothattheydon’treceiveortransmitonthesame channel).
2. Thesejacksprovidestereo,24-bitS/PDIFdigitalinput
andoutputatanysamplerateupto96kHz.
3. TheUltraLite-mk3’seightanalogoutputsaregold-
plated,balanced+4dBTRS(tip/ring/sleeve)quarter- inchconnectorsthatcanalsoacceptanunbalancedplug. Theyareequippedwith24-bit,128xoversampling converters.
4. ThisXLR/TRScombojackacceptseitheramiccableora
cablewithaquarter-inchplug.UsethefrontpanelMIC2 trimencodertoapplyupto+60dBor+32dBofboost, respectively,forthemic(XLR)orinstrument(TRS)input. Totogglethe20dBpadforthemic(XLR)input,pushthe front-panelMic2trimencoder.Totoggle48Vphantom powerfortheXLR(mic)input,pushandholdthefront- panelMic2trimencoder.
5. Thesetwobalanced,quarter-inchjacksserveasthe
UltraLite-mk3’smainoutputs.Youcanconnectthemtoa setofpoweredstudiomonitorsandthencontrolthe volumefromthefrontpanelvolumeknob.Toheardisk tracksinyouraudiosoftwareonthesemainouts,assign thedisktracks(andmasterfader)tothesemainouts (
MainOut1-2
).YoucanalsouseCueMixFXtomonitor
liveUltraLite-mk3inputshereaswell.
6. Equippedwith24-bit192kHzconverters,thesesix
analoginputs(3through8)aregold-plated,balanced TRS(tip/ring/sleeve)quarter-inchconnectorsthatcan alsoacceptanunbalancedplug.Theydonothavemicro- phonepreamps,sotheyarebestusedforsynthesizers, drummachines,effectsprocessors,andotherinstru- mentswithlinelevelsignals(either-10dBor+4dB). TheseinputsarealsoequippedwiththeUltraLite-mk3’s PrecisionDigitalTrim™feature:digitallycontrolled analogtrimsthatletyouadjustinputlevelin1dBincre- mentsfromeitherfrontpanelLCDortheincluded CueMixFXsoftware.Thetrimcanbeadjustedovera rangeof-96to+22dB.
7. ConnecttheUltraLite-mk3tothecomputerherevia
eitherFireWireorUSB2,usingeitherthestandard1394 FireWireAorUSBcableprovidedwithyour UltraLite-mk3.There’snotmuchdifference,exceptthat FireWireoffersbus-poweredoperation(withouttheDC powersupply).
Importantnote:itisbesttoturnoff
theUltraLite-mk3whenpluggingintheFireWire cable,asthisavoidsthepossibilityofstatic discharge,whichcanharmtheelectricalcompo- nentsintheUltraLite-mk3oryourcomputer
.
8. Thisjackacceptsanystandard10-24VDCpowersupply
witheithertip-positiveortip-negativepolarity.
QuickReference:UltraLite-mk3HybridRearPanel
1 2 3
8
4
57 6

CHAPTER
7
QuickReference:MOTUAudioSetup
Thisbuttonopensanotherdialogthatlets
youassignyourowncustomizednamesto
eachUltraLite-mk3inputandoutput.For
example,ifyouhavealeadvocalmicplugged
intoinput1,youcouldnameit“LeadVox”.
Yourcustomizednamesthenappearinyour
hostaudioapplication(ifitsupportsCoreAu-
dioinputnaming).
Thismenuletsyouchoosewhatyouwillhear
fromtheheadphonejack.Tomirrorthemain
outs,choose
MainOut1-2 .Oryoucanmirror
anyotheroutputpair.Tohearthephonesas
theirownindependentoutput,choose
Phones1-2 .
Determinestheclocksourceforyour
UltraLite-mk3.Ifyou’rejustusingthe
analoginsandouts,setthisto
Internal. The
othersettingsarefordigitaltransfersvia
S/PDIForsynchronizationtotimecodeor
otheraudiodevices.
Choosetheoutputpairyouwould
likethemainoutstomirror,or
choose
MainOuts tooperatethem
astheirownindependentpair.
Choosethesamplerateforthe
UltraLite-mk3here.
Clickthetabstoaccessgeneral
MOTUFireWireinterface
settingsorsettingsspecificto
theUltraLite-mk3(orother
connectedinterface).
InthestandardMacOSXfashion,the
setupsoftwareappearsinthedock
whenyoulaunchit.Ifthe
Launch
consoleautomatically
optionis
checked(asshownabove),theicon
appearsassoonasyouswitchonyour
UltraLite-mk3interface.Ifyouclick
andholdonthedockicon(insteadof
clickingit)orcontrol-click,amenuof
hardwaresettingsappearsasshown
totheright.Youcanviewandconfig-
ureanyhardwaresettingsfromthis
menu,withoutopeningthesetup
softwarewindow.
ClicktheGeneraltabtoaccessthesesettings.
Specifiesthestereoinputand
outputpairwhenthe
UltraLite-mk3ischosenforMac
TheUltraLite-mk3driverprovidesa
stereoreturnbacktothecomputer.
Thisreturnfeedsthesignalonany
outputpairdirectlybacktothe
computer,whereyoucanrecord,
process,monitororotherwiseuse
it.Thisisagreatwayto“bounce”
fullmixes,completewithliveaudio
routedthroughtheUltraLite-mk3
only,backintothecomputer.
CheckthisoptionifyouwouldliketheMOTU
AudioSetupicontoappearintheapplication
dockassoonasaMOTUFireWireinterfaceis
detected(switchedon,pluggedin,etc.)

8

CHAPTER
9
1
AbouttheUltraLite-mk3Hybrid
Overview . .......... ................. .......... ....... .9
TheUltraLite-mk3 RearPanel......... .......... ..... 10
TheUltraLite-mk3 FrontPanel .. . .. .. ... .. . .. .. . .. .. . 11
16-bitand24-bitrecording .......... .... ........... . 12
CueMixFX32-bitfloatingpointmixingandeffects.. 12
AudioDesk..... ................. .......... ........... 12
DigitalPerformer ...... .......... ....... .......... ... 13
OtherHostAudioSoftware...... ....... .......... ... 13
OVERVIEW
TheUltraLite-mk3isa hybridFireWireUSB2
audiointerfaceforMacandWindowswithon-
boardeffectsandmixing thatoffers 10 inputsand
14outputs.Bothanaloganddigital I/Oareoffered
atsampleratesup to96kHz,and analog recording
andplaybackis offeredatrates up to192 kHz.All
inputsandoutputscanbeaccessedsimultaneously.
TheUltraLite-mk3is housedin a sturdy,compact
half-rackenclosurethatconnectsdirectlytoa
computerviaa standard FireWire orUSBcable.
TheUltraLite-mk3offers the followingmain
features:
■ UniversalcomputerconnectivityviaFireWireor
high-speedUSB2
■ Bus-powered operation(FireWireonly)
■ Six24-bitanalogquarter-inch(TRS)inputs
■ Ten24-bitanalogquarter-inch(TRS)outputs
■ TwocomboXLR/TRS mic/guitar inputs with
preamps,48V phantompower,20 dB pad,and
PrecisionDigitalTrim™preampgainadjustment
■ Operation onallanalogI/Oatstandardsample
ratesupto192kHz
■ Digitally controlledanalogtrim forallanalog
inputs
■
RCA S/PDIFdigitalI/Oatsampleratesupto
96kHz
■ MIDII/O
■
On-boardSMPTEsynchronization
■
Headphonejack withvolumecontrol
■ Frontpanelvolumecontrolof theMainOuts(or
any programmablecombinationof outputs)
■ CueMix™ FX no-latencymixing,monitoring,
andeffectsprocessing
■ ClassicReverb™withfivedifferentroomtypes,
threefrequencyshelveswithadjustablecrossover
points,shelf filtering and reverblengths upto60
seconds.
■ Two forms of compression, including a standard
compressor with conventional threshold/ratio/
attack/release/gaincontrolsand the Leveler™,an
accuratemodelof thelegendaryLA-2A optical
compressor,whichprovidesvintage,musical
automatic gain control.
■ 7-bandparametric EQmodeledafterBritish
analogconsoleEQs,featuring4filterstyles(gain/Q
profiles)to effectively cover awiderangeof audio
material.LPandHP filtersarealso suppliedwith
slopes thatrangefrom6 to 36 dB.
■ Front-panelLCDprogrammingforthe mixer
andall othersettings
■ ExtensivefrontpanelmeteringandstatusLEDs
■ Stand-aloneoperation
■ MacandWindowsdrivers formulti-channel
operationandacross-the-boardcompatibilitywith
any audiosoftwareoncurrentMacandWindows
systems

ABOUT THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID
10
■ CueMixFXcross-platformmixingsoftwarewith
attractivegraphicmixing,graphic editingof
parametric EQ anda convenienttabbedinterface
for quickaccesstoall featuresinonewindow.Also
providesfull-screenreal-timeFFT display,
spectrogram“waterfall”display,oscilloscope,X-Y
plot and linearorpolarphaseanalysis.
■
AudioDesk™,full-featuredaudio workstation
softwareforMac OSthatsupports both 16-bit and
24-bitrecording
Withavariety of I/O formats,micpreampsand
no-latency mixingand processingof live input,the
UltraLite-mk3 is acomplete,portable“studioin a
box”when used witha Mac orWindowscomputer.
THE ULTRALITE-MK3 REAR PANEL
Therearpanelhas the followingconnectors:
■ Tengold-plated,balanced+4dBquarter-inch
(TRS) analog outputs(with24-bit192 kHz
converters)
■ Sixgold-plated,balancedquarter-inch (TRS)
analoginputs (with24-bit192 kHzconverters)
■ Onecombo XLR/TRSmic/instrumentinput
■RCA S/PDIFin/out
■MIDIIN andMIDIOUT jacks
■One1394FireWireAconnector
■Onehigh-speed USB2connector
■DCpowerjack
10 inputs and 14 outputs
All UltraLite-mk3inputsandoutputscan beused
simultaneously,for atotalof 10inputsand14
outputswhenoperatingatsample ratesupto
96kHz:
All inputs and outputs arediscreteand can be
active simultaneously.
Theheadphone outputscan operate as an
independentoutputpair,ortheycan mirrorany
otherUltraLite-mk3outputpair,suchas the main
outs.
Mic/guitar inputs with preamps
Thetwomic/instrument inputs (frontpaneland
rearpanel)areequipped withpreampsand
“combo”XLR/TRS jacks,which acceptXLR
microphone inputs or quarter-inchguitar/
instrumentsinputs.Individual48volt phantom
poweranda 20dB pad canbe supplied
independently to each mic input.ThePrecision
Digital Trim™ knobs onthe frontpanelforeach
mic/instrument inputprovide60 dBof boost for
theXLRmic input and32 dBof boost fortheTRS
instrumentinput inprecise1 dBincrements.
Analog
All six quarter-inchanaloginputsareequipped
with24-bit192kHzA/D converters.Alleight
analogoutputshave24-bit192 kHzD/A
converters.Allaudioiscarriedtothecomputerina
24-bitdatastream.
Connection Input Output
Analog24-bit 192kHz onbal/unbalTRS 6 10
Micpreamps 24-bit192 kHzonXLR/TRS
combo 2-
SPDIF24-bit 96kHzdigital 2 2
Headphoneoutput - 2
Total 10 14

ABOUT THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID 11
Alltenanalogoutputsandsixquarter-inchanalog
inputsareon balancedTRS +4dBquarter-inch
jacks.Allof thesejackscan alsoacceptunbalanced
plugs.
Precision DigitalTrim™
All of theUltraLite-mk3’s analog inputsare
equippedwithdigitallycontrolled analog trims
thatallowadjustments in 1dB increments.The
mic/guitarinputtrimscanbeadjustedusingfront-
paneldigitalrotaryencodersthatprovidefeedback
inthefrontpanelLCDwith60 dBof adjustment
for the mic input and 32dB fortheTRSinput.All
analoginputs,includingsixrear-panelTRSanalog
inputs,can betrimmedusingthe frontpanelLCD
orusing the UltraLite-mk3’s included CueMixFX
controlsoftwareforMacandWindows.Thisallows
youtofine-tunetrimsettingsforsynths,effects
modules and awidevariety of analoginputsfor
optimum levels.Differenttrim configurationscan
thenbe saved asfiles ondisk forinstantrecall.
S/PDIF
TheUltraLite-mk3rearpanelprovidesRCA“coax”
S/PDIFinput and output.
MIDI I/O
TheUltraLite-mk3’s standardMIDIIN and MIDI
OUTjackssupply16 channelsof MIDI I/Otoand
fromthe computer viatheUltraLite-mk3’s
FireWireconnection.Timing accuracycan be
sample-accuratewithhostsoftware thatsupports
it.
On-board SMPTE synchronization
TheUltraLite-mk3can resolvedirectlytoSMPTE
timecodeviaany analog input,without aseparate
synchronizer.Itcanalsogeneratetimecodeviaany
analogoutput.TheUltraLite-mk3providesa
DSP-drivenphase-lockenginewithsophisticated
filteringthatprovidesfast lockuptimesandsub-
frameaccuracy.
TheincludedMOTU SMPTE Console™software
provides a complete set of tools for generating and
regenerating SMPTEtimecode,whichallowsyou
toslave otherdevicestothecomputer.Like
CueMix FX,thesynchronizationfeaturesare
cross-platformandcompatiblewithanyaudio
sequencersoftware thatsupportstheASIO2
sample-accuratesyncprotocol.
Hybrid FireWire/USB2 connectivity
FireWirehas longbeen recognizedas a reliable,
high-performanceconnectivity standard for
professional MOTUaudio interfaces.Meanwhile,
hi-speedUSB2hasalsodevelopedintoa widely
adoptedstandard forconnectingperipheral
devicestopersonalcomputers.
To fullysupportbothformats,yourUltraLite-mk3
Hybridaudiointerfaceis equippedwithboth a
FireWireA (400Mbit/sec)connector and ahi-
speedUSB2(480Mbit/sec)connector,andyoucan
useeitherport to connecttheUltraLite-mk3to
yourcomputer.Thisgivesyoumaximumflexibility
andcompatibility withtoday’sever-expanding
universeof Mac andWindows computers.
TheUltraLite-mk3hasthe ability topower itself
fromits FireWireconnectiontothe computer,for
convenient,mobilebus-powered operation.
Power supply
If youdonotwantthe UltraLite-mk3todraw
powerfrom the computer,andACpoweris
available,youcan powerthe UltraLite-mk3from
any standard 10-18V,12wattDCpowersupply
withanypolarity (tippositiveornegative).
THE ULTRALITE-MK3 FRONT PANEL
Mic/instrument input
See“Mic/guitar inputs withpreamps”onpage10.
48V phantom power and pad
See“Mic/guitar inputs withpreamps”onpage10.

ABOUT THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID
12
Headphone output and main volume control
TheUltraLite-mk3frontpanelprovidesa quarter-
inchstereoheadphoneoutputjackandvolume
knob.TheLCDdisplay providesfeedbackas you
turn the knob.TheVOLknobcan beused to
controlthevolumeofthemainoutjacksontherear
panel.Itcan alternatelybeconfiguredtocontrol
any combination of outputs.
Programmable backlit LCD display
AnyUltraLite-mk3setting,includingthepowerful
CueMix FX on-board16-busmixerwitheffects,
canbeaccessed directlyfromthefrontpanelusing
thefourrotaryencodersandthe2x16 backlitLCD
display.
TheLCDalsoprovidesactivitymeteringforall
UltraLite-mk3 inputs and outputs.
16-BIT AND 24-BIT RECORDING
TheUltraLite-mk3systemhandlesalldatawitha
24-bitsignalpath,regardlessoftheI/Oformat.You
can recordand playback16-bit or24-bit audiofiles
atanysupported sampleratevia anyof the
UltraLite-mk3’sanalogordigital inputsand
outputs.24-bitaudiofilescanberecordedwithany
compatible host applicationthatsupports24-bit
recording.
CUEMIX FX 32-BIT FLOATING POINT
MIXING AND EFFECTS
All UltraLite-mk3inputsandoutputscan be
routedtotheon-boardCueMix FX 16-bus (8
stereo) digital mixerdriven byhardware-based
DSPwith32-bitfloatingpointprecision.The
mixerallowsyoutoapplyno-latencyeffects
processingtoinputs,outputs orbussesdirectlyin
theUltraLite-mk3hardware,independentof the
computer.Effectscanevenbe appliedwhenthe
UltraLite-mk3 isoperatingstand-alone(withouta
computer)as a completeportablemixer.Input
signalstothecomputercan berecordedwet,dry,
ordrywitha wetmonitormix (formusicians
duringrecording,forexample).
Effects include reverb,parametricEQand
compression/limiting.TheUltraLite-mk3’sClassic
Reverb™providesfivedifferentroomtypes,three
frequency bands withadjustablecrossoverpoints,
shelf filteringand reverblengthsup to60-seconds.
Twoformsofcompressionaresupplied:astandard
compressor with conventional threshold/ratio/
attack/release/gaincontrolsand the Leveler™,an
accuratemodelof thelegendaryLA-2A optical
compressor,whichprovidesvintage,musical
automatic gain control.
CueMix FX alsoprovides7-bandparametricEQ
modeledafterBritish analog console EQs,
featuring 4filterstyles (gain/Q profiles) to
effectivelycovera widerangeof audiomaterial.
Low-passandhigh-passfiltersarealso supplied
withslopesthatrangefrom6 to 36 dB.TheEQ
employs extremelyhigh precision64-bitfloating
pointprocessing.
TheUltraLite-mk3’s flexibleeffectsarchitecture
allows youtoapply EQ andcompressiononevery
inputandoutput(atotalof 24channels),with
enoughDSP resourcesforatleastonebandof
parametric EQ and compressiononeverychannel
at48 kHz.However,DSP resourcesareallocated
dynamicallyanda DSPmeterintheCueMixFX
software(included) allowsyou to keeptabs onthe
UltraLite-mk3’sprocessing resources.Eachinput,
outputand mixbusprovidesa send tothe Classic
Reverbprocessor,whichthenfeedsreverbreturns
tomix busses and outputs,witha selectablesplit
pointbetweenthem to preventsend/return
feedback loops.
AUDIODESK
AudioDesk is afull-featured,24-bitaudio
workstation software package included with the
UltraLite-mk3system(for Maconly).AudioDesk
provides multi-channel waveform editing,
automatedvirtual mixing,graphicediting of ramp
automation,real-timeeffectsplug-inswith32-bit

ABOUT THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID 13
floatingpointprocessing,crossfades,support for
many third-party audioplug-ins,background
processingof file-basedoperations,sample-
accurateeditingandplacementof audio,andmore.
DIGITAL PERFORMER
TheUltraLite-mk3systemis fullyintegrated with
MOTU’s award-winningDigitalPerformeraudio
sequencer softwarepackage.
OTHER HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE
TheUltraLite-mk3systemincludesa standard
Mac OSX CoreAudiodriver formultichannel I/O
withanyaudioapplicationthatsupportsCore
Audio.

ABOUT THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID
14

CHAPTER
15
2PackingListandMacSystem
Requirements
PACKING LIST
TheUltraLite-mk3shipswiththeitemslisted
below.If anyof theseitemsarenotpresentinyour
UltraLite-mk3 boxwhenyoufirst openit,please
immediatelycontactyourdealerorMOTU.
■OneUltraLite-mk3I/O rack unit
■One6-pinto6-pinIEEE1394“FireWire”cable
■OneUSBcable
■Onesetof removable rack ears
■OneUltraLite-mk3Mac/Windowsmanual
■OneAudioDeskManual
■Onecross-platformCD-ROM
■Product registration card
MAC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
TheUltraLite-mk3systemrequiresthefollowing
Mac system:
■AG4/500MHz PowerMacorfaster equipped
withatleastoneFireWireport
■Atleast256 MB(megabytes) of RAM (512MB
ormoreis recommended)
■Mac OSX (version 10.4.9orlater)
■Alargeharddrive (preferablyatleast250 GB)
PLEASE REGISTER TODAY!
PleaseregisteryourUltraLite-mk3today.Thereare
twowaysto register.
■Visitwww.motu.com/registrationtoregisteron
line
OR
■Fillout and mailtheincludedproduct
registration card
Asa registereduser,youwillbe eligibletoreceive
technical supportand announcementsabout
productenhancements as soonas theybecome
available.Only registeredusers receivethese
specialupdate notices,sopleaseregistertoday!
BesuretodothesamefortheincludedAudioDesk
software,whichmustberegisteredseparately.You
candoso onlineorbyfillingout and mailingthe
includedsoftwareregistrationcardfoundatthe
beginning of yourAudioDeskmanual.Pleasebe
sure to registerAudioDeskas well,sothatyou will
beeligibleto receiveonlinetechnical support email
andannouncements aboutAudioDesksoftware
enhancementsas soonastheybecome available.
Thank you for taking thetimeto register yournew
MOTUproducts!

PACKING LIST AND MAC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
16

CHAPTER
17
3InstallingtheUltraLite-mk3Hybrid
Hardware
OVERVIEW
Here’san overviewforinstalling the
UltraLite-mk3:
Importantnotebeforeyoubegin! ........... ........ 17
Takethese precautionstoprevent damage to your
computer,theUltraLite-mk3andother
equipment.
ConnecttheUltraLite-mk3 interface....... .......... 18
ConnecttheUltraLite-mk3tothecomputer.
Connectaudioinputs andoutputs ......... ....... .. 20
Makeanaloganddigital connectionsasdesired.
ConnectMIDIgear......... ................. ......... 21
Connect a controller,synth or control surface.
Connecting andsyncing S/PDIFdevices .. ... .. ... .. . 22
ConnectaDAT deck,effects processororother
devicewithdigitalI/O,butbe suretomakethe
correctclocksourcesettings.
Poweroptions ......... .......... ....... .......... ... 23
Choose from among several convenient options.
AtypicalUltraLite-mk3Hybridsetup ... ....... ...... 25
Anexample setupforcomputer-basedmixing/FX.
ConnectingmultipleMOTUFireWireinterfaces .... . 26
Connectadditional UltraLitesorotheraudio
interfaces.
IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE YOU BEGIN!
Beforeyou begin installingthe UltraLite-mk3(or
any bus-powereddevice),takethese important
precautionarymeasurestoavoiddamaging the
sensitive electrical components inyour computer,
theUltraLite-mk3orotherdevicesbeing
connected:
■Turn off the computer.
■Turnoff theUltraLite-mk3 (push and hold the
VOL knob.
■Turnoff thepowerof any otherdevices.
■Touch themetal casing of the UltraLite-mk3to
discharge anystaticelectricity thatyou maybe
carryingjust beforethe installation.
Afteryouhavemadeall of thenecessary
connections,asdescribed in thischapter,turnon
thedevicesin this sequence:
1. Turn on the computer.
2. TurnontheUltraLite-mk3.
3. Turnonotherdevicesconnectedtothe
UltraLite-mk3.

INSTALLING THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID HARDWARE
18
CONNECT THE ULTRALITE-MK3 INTERFACE
YourUltraLite-mk3Hybrid audiointerfaceis
equippedwithbotha FireWireA(400Mbit/sec)
connectoranda hi-speed USB2 (480 Mbit/sec)
connector,andyoucan useeitherport to connect
theUltraLite-mk3toyour computer.Thisgives
youmaximumflexibility and compatibility with
today’s ever-expanding universeof Mac and
Windowscomputers.
Which should I use:FireWire or USB2?
If yourcomputer does not have aFireWireport,
thenobviously you will needtoconnectthe
UltraLite-mk3 Hybridtooneof itshi-speedUSB2
ports.
If yourcomputer has bothFireWireandUSB2,
thenitisyour choice,andyourdecisionmay
depend mostlyonotherperipherals youmayalso
have,orbuspower,asexplainedbelow.
Bus-powered operation requires FireWire
Thereis onlyonesignificantdifferencebetween
FireWireandUSB2operation:buspower.FireWire
providesenoughpower on the FireWirebusthat
theUltraLitecanbepoweredsolelybyitsFireWire
connectiontothe computer.Forcomplete
information,see “Buspower requirements”on
page23.
If youuse USB2,youmust alsouse theDC power
supplyincludedwithyourUltraLite-mk3,asUSB2
doesnotsupplyenoughpower byitself.
If you are connecting via FireWire
1Beforeyoubegin,makesure your computerand
theUltraLite-mk3areswitchedoff.
2Plug one end of theUltraLite-mk3FireWire
cable (included) intothe FireWiresocketonthe
computeras shown belowinFigure3-1.
☛Youcan connecttheUltraLite-mk3toan
800Mbit“FireWire B”portusing a 9-pin to6-pin
FireWireB cable(notshown).However,the
UltraLite-mk3 will still operate atitsspecified
400Mbit (FireWireA)datarate.
3PlugtheotherendoftheFireWirecableintothe
UltraLite-mk3I/O as shown belowinFigure3-1.
Figure3-1:Connecting the UltraLite-mk3 to the computer via
FireWire.
☛Make absolutesureto align theflatside of the
FireWireplugproperlywiththeflatside of the
FireWiresocketontheUltraLite-mk3.If you
attempt toforcethe pluginto the socketthewrong
way,youcan damage the UltraLite-mk3.

INSTALLING THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID HARDWARE 19
If you are connecting via USB2
SomeUSBportsoncomputersareUSBVersion1.1
ports,which supportlow-power,low-bandwidth
peripheralssuchasyourcomputer’s mouse and
keyboard.USB1 portsdonotsupport the high-
speedoperationnecessaryfortheUltraLite-mk3.If
youarenotsureif theUSBportsonyourcomputer
areHi-speedUSB2ornot,checkyour computer’s
documentation.Orcheckyourcomputer as
follows:
■OntheMac,you canrunSystemProfiler(Apple
menu>AboutThisMac>MoreInfo...) to viewthe
specificationsforeach USB portonyourMac.
LookinthehardwarelistforUSBandclickit.Ifthe
USBbus description on the right-handsidesays
USBHighSpeed Bus,thenyour MachasUSB2.
■OnWindows,openDeviceManagerandexpand
theUniversalSerialBussection.There shouldbe
an“Enhanced”USBhostcontrollerpresent.
☛Duetothewayall USB 1.1andUSB2.0
devicessharebandwidth,youwillachievebetter
overallperformancebyplacing1.1and2.0 devices
onseparatebusses,if possible.Fordetails,referto
thetechsupportdatabase atwww.motu.com.
1Beforeyoubegin,makesure your computerand
theUltraLite-mk3areswitchedoff.
2Plug theflat“typeA”plug of the UltraLite-mk3
USBcable(included)intoaUSB2-equippedsocket
onthe computeras shown belowinFigure3-1.
3Plug thesquared“typeB”plug of theUSBcable
intothe UltraLite-mk3I/Oas shown belowin
Figure 3-1.
Figure3-2:ConnectingtheUltraLite-mk3tothecomputerviaUSB.

INSTALLING THE ULTRALITE-MK3 HYBRID HARDWARE
20
CONNECT AUDIO INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
TheUltraLite-mk3audiointerfacehas the
following audioinput and output connectors:
■10balancedquarter-inch analogoutputs
■6balancedquarter-inch analoginputs
■2XLR/quarter-inch“combo”analoginputswith
preamps
■1pair of RCA S/PDIF inand out
Herearea fewthingsyou shouldkeepin mind as
youaremakingtheseconnectionstootherdevices.
Mic/instrument inputs
Connectamicrophone,guitar,instrumentorother
analoginput to the XLR/TRScombo jack with
eitherastandardmiccableorabalancedcablewith
aquarter-inch plug.
☛Donotconnecta +4 (linelevel)XLR cableto
thefront-panelinputs (becauseof thepreamps).
Usea rear-panel quarter-inchinputinstead.
Phantom power
If youareconnectinga condenser microphoneor
otherdevicethatrequiresphantompower,push
andholdthecorrespondingfront-panelTRIM
rotaryencoderforafewsecondstotogglephantom
power.TheredLED belowwillturn onoroff
accordingly.
Trim
TheXLRmic input and the TRSinstrumentinput
areequippedwith60dBand32dBoftrimcontrol,
respectively.Use thedigitaltrimencodersonthe
frontpaneltoadjust the input levelas needed for
eachinput.The LCDprovidesvisualfeedback as
youturnthetrimknob.TheUltraLite-mk3’sinput
trimsaredigitalcontrolled,so they allowyou to
make fine-tuned adjustments in precise1dB
increments.Youcanalso adjusttrim in theMOTU
CueMix FX software.See“Input trim”onpage73.
20 dB pad
Themicinput(XLRjack)isequippedwitha20dB
pad,so“hot”signalsarebestconnectedviaanXLR
cable sothatyou can usethe pad.To togglethe
20dB pad fora micinput,quicklypushitsTRIM
rotaryencoder.ThegreenLED belowwillturnon
or off accordingly.
Since the pad isnotavailableontheTRS jack,hot
signalsconnected viatheTRS jack will probably
overdrive the input.
Combo jack summary
Usethese generalguidelinesforthe48V phantom
power,padandtrimsettingsonthe twocombo
inputjacks:
Quarter-inch analog
Thequarter-inchanaloginputs(3-8) and outputs
(1-8plusmainout)arebalanced(TRS)connectors
thatcan also acceptan unbalancedplug.
Thequarter-inchoutputsarecalibratedtoproduce
a+4 dBulineleveloutputsignal.
Quarter-inch analog input trims
Thequarter-inchinputsarecalibratedto
accommodateeither+4or-10dBusignalsandare
equippedwithdigitallycontrolled analog trims
thatprovide +22dB of gainand-96 dBof cut.You
canuse eitherthe frontpanelLCDorthe included
CueMix FX software to adjustthe input trim.To
Input 48V Pad Trim
Condensermic On Asneeded As needed
Dynamicmic Off Asneeded As needed
Guitar Off n/a Asneeded
-10dB Linelevel viaTRS Off n/a Asneeded
-10dB Linelevel viaXLR Off -20dB +12dB
+4dB linelevel (XLRonly) Off -20 dB Zero