Neve Neve 4081 User manual

4081
Quad Mic Preamp
User Manual
Issue 3
Firmware V2.0 or later
The 4081 is a quad mic / line pre-amplifier, based on the classic 1081 modules
and provides both powerful control and the legendary Neve sound.

4081 User Manual Issue 3
Health & Safety Notice
FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AND THE PROTECTION OF OTHERS,
PLEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING HEALTH AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Read These Instructions And Keep Them Handy
Heed All Safety Warnings
Do Not Use Near Water
Clean Only With A Dry Cloth
Do Not Install Near Heat Sources
Do Not Block Ventilation Openings
Protect The Power Cord
Use Only Accessories Specified By The Manufacturer
Unplug When Unused For Long Periods Of Time
Refer All Servicing To Qualified Personnel Only
No User Serviceable Parts Inside
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE PROCEDURES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
COULD INVALIDATE THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY
Head Office:
AMS Neve
Billington Road
Burnley
Lancashire
England
BB11 5UB
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
London Office:
[phone]
Email:[email protected]
Web: www.ams-neve.com
Support: http://www.ams-neve.info/crm/fault_report.html
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Table of Contents
Health & Safety Notice...................................................................................................................................2
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................4
Channel Controls............................................................................................................................................6
AD/DA / Firewire Card (optional).................................................................................................................7
Standalone mode (with no FireWire connected)........................................................................................7
Setting the sync source in standalone mode.................................................................................................................7
Internal lock in standalone mode....................................................................................................................................8
AES/EBU lock in standalone mode...................................................................................................................................8
Word clock lock standalone mode.................................................................................................................................8
FireWire mode (with FireWire connected)....................................................................................................9
Setting the Sync source in FireWire mode.......................................................................................................................9
AES/EBU lock in FireWire mode..........................................................................................................................................9
Word clock lock in FireWire mode..................................................................................................................................10
Installing the software – PC..........................................................................................................................11
USB Driver............................................................................................................................................................................11
Remote Control software.................................................................................................................................................12
Installing the software – Mac.......................................................................................................................14
USB Driver............................................................................................................................................................................14
Remote Control software.................................................................................................................................................14
Standalone Control Setup – PC version......................................................................................................16
Communications Port.......................................................................................................................................................17
MIDI Port Setup...................................................................................................................................................................18
Reset Current Rack / Reset All Racks.............................................................................................................................18
Checkboxes.......................................................................................................................................................................18
Create Debug File.......................................................................................................................................................18
Auto Load Last Setup File On Startup......................................................................................................................18
Auto Restore Previous Setup On Startup.................................................................................................................18
Pro Tools Control Setup................................................................................................................................20
AD/DA / FireWire Expansion Board.............................................................................................................22
Parts supplied in the upgrade kit....................................................................................................................................22
Fitting Instructions...............................................................................................................................................................22
Updating 4081 Firmware to Version 2.0......................................................................................................24
Rear Connectors / Pin-out information.......................................................................................................25
Technical / Physical Information................................................................................................................30
Audio Specification......................................................................................................................................30
In the unlikely even that your 4081 should malfunction or develop a fault,
please register the fault details on our website by clicking the link below.
You will also need the unit's serial number when you do this, so please
have this to hand.
http://www.ams-neve.info/crm/fault_report.html
Once the fault details have been registered, one of our technical support
team will be in touch via email.
For further operational or technical help, or for any other general enquiry
about the 4081, please email inf[email protected].
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Introduction
The 4081 Quad Mic Preamp builds on the incredible success of the 1081
and 1081R modules and provides both powerful control and legendary
Neve sound.
Perfect for vocals, ADR and Foley recording, the 4081 features make it the
number one choice for any studio, OB truck or live stage environment.
Every function of the 4081 can be controlled directly from the front panel
or by remote control using a Mac or PC with the Neve Remote Control
software.
This provides a simple and elegant solution for users of ProTools and other
DAW systems.
Multiple 4081 units can be linked together to create up to 64 independent
channels of Mic Pre-amps or Line Level inputs, all controlled from a single
point.
The unit always powers up with all settings, levels and states as they were
at power-down.
An optional Digital module provides a Firewire/AES interface with four
channels of A/D and D/A conversion to either AES or Firewire.
An Insert point is available before the A/D converter on each channel to
allow external, analogue outboard equipment to be switched into the
signal path.
•Legendary Neve microphone preamp design
•Four genuine 1081 Mic preamp channels in a single unit, 8.5” wide
•Two units can be fastened together to provide 8-channels in a single
19” unit
•Remote control using a Mac / PC and the Neve remote control
software
•XLR Mic input can be switched between Mic and electronically
balanced Line
•Switchable 48V Phantom power supply
•Digital I/O Option:
•Firewire/AES interface with four channels of A/D conversion to
either AES or Firewire and 4 channels of D/A conversion
•Analogue Insert (pre A/D converter) per channel
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Optional Digital / Firewire card
This optional module has 2 FireWire ports, Wordclock sync IN and OUT
and a 25-way D-type connector for AES Ins/Outs.
If this option is not present, there will be a blanking plate fitted instead,
and the Sample Rate leds & buttons on the front of the unit will not
function.
The AES IN/OUT and Firewire ports are intelligent, in that if a Firewire
connection is detected, then the 4081 will presume that FireWire will be
the digital interface, and not the AES.
If a Firewire connection is not detected, then the 4081 will presume the
audio is coming in via the AES IN/OUT 25-way D-type connector.
The optional expansion module has 4 DA/AD converters:
•AES signals going into AES IN/OUT connector (or Firewire if
detected) will also be sent as analogue outputs from the LINE OUT of
the 25 way D-sub connector.
•If INS is selected on a channel, then the corresponding analogue input
signal connected to INS IN of the 25 way D-sub connector will be
converted and output as AES signals from the AES IN/OUT (or
Firewire if detected).
By default, the Post- gain amplified signal from the Mic/Line input will also be
routed to the A/D inputs.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Channel Controls
Each channel can be controlled from the front panel, from a remote Mac
or PC, or via Pro Tools using the optional remote control software.
By default, the unit powers-up with all functions locally controllable, and
with all settings & switch states fully recalled as they were at power-down.
The unit is powered by the silver switch with the Neve logo, which will
light red once the power is on.
Front panel control is available on each input for:
▪48V: Turns on Phantom Power to the Mic (not available for LINE)
▪-20:Pad, attenuates the incoming Mic signal by -20dB (not available
for LINE)
▪LOW Z: Impedance for Ribbon Microphones (not available for LINE)
▪MIC/LINE: Selects between the Mic or Line input.
Lights yellow when MIC is selected; unlit for LINE.
▪Ø: Swaps the incoming phase of the Mic or Line signal.
▪INS:This selects the source for the A/D in the FireWire expansion
module if fitted. When illuminated, allows an external Insert Pre- the
A/D of the expansion module.
Turning the Gain control will vary the gain as shown in the display
beneath.
The Gain level is not related to the actual position of the knob, which will
infinitely rotate.
•The MIC gain control runs from +20dB to +70dB in 5dB steps.
•The LINE gain control runs from 0dB to +20dB in 5dB steps.
Just beneath the Gain control are two leds that indicate:
•Signal Presence (lights green at approx -30dBu or greater)
•Signal Overload (lights red at 2dB below clipping)
The metering point is Post- the Gain stage.
Maximum signal level is 26dBu.
The Gain knob also has a push-switch which will only function if the unit is
attached to an AMS Neve 88R console where it is used to interrogate
console control settings (to be implemented in V3.0 software).
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
AD/DA / Firewire Card (optional)
The 4081 FireWire expansion board provides a digital interface for the
4081, both to FireWire and AES/EBU, and has two modes of operation as
described below.
If this digital board is not fitted, then the Sample Rate and Sync Source
leds on the front of the unit will not light or function.
Standalone mode (with no FireWire connected)
This mode is designed for operation with ProTools, or any other digital
system which uses AES/EBU as its digital I/O interface.
Essentially, it provides 4 mono ADC channels (from the 4081) to AES/EBU
over two stereo AES/EBU ports, and is compatible with sample rates up to
192kHz on each of these AES/EBU ports (true stereo single wire 192kHz
operation).
As an added feature, it also has two stereo AES/EBU ports to four DAC
channels which can be used for monitoring.
Again, these can run at up to 192kHz (true stereo single wire 192kHz
operation).
Control of the sample frequency and syncronisation source in standalone
mode is done entirely through the front panel buttons.
As a general rule, any flashing led on the digital panel shown below
indicates that the unit is not locked to the selected sample rate or source.
If this happens, please check that the sample rate selected on the 4081
matches that which is being supplied, either by AES, Wordclock or
FireWire.
Solid leds indicate the unit is locked to the selected source at the chosen
rate.
Setting the sync source in standalone mode
In standalone mode, the FireWire expansion board can lock to internal,
AES/EBU, or TTL wordclock, at sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz.
Press both buttons together to step through the sync sources
(Wordclock, AES & Internal).
• A solid green led means the unit has locked to the selected sync
source.
• A flashing led indicates it cannot find the selected sync source, so
please check that the selected sync source is connected.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Internal lock in standalone mode
The green INT led will illuminate, and the yellow sample rate led will
indicate the sample rate the 4081 is running at.
Step through the sample rates by pressing the or buttons.
The yellow led will light solidly to indicate the sample rate selected.
A flashing led indicates it cannot lock to the selected sample rate.
NB:
Internal lock should be used if no external sync source is available, or if
you want the 4081 to be the Master sync source for your system.
AES/EBU lock in standalone mode
The green AES led will illuminate when AES/EBU sync is selected.
If the green led is flashing, it means that the AES/EBU source is running
at a different sample rate to the 4081.
Change the sample rate of the 4081 using the and buttons until
the desired sample rate led is solid.
Picture, left, shows the 4081 locked to a 48kHz AES source.
Word clock lock standalone mode
The green WCLK led will illuminate when word clock sync is selected.
If the green WCLK led is flashing, it means that the word clock source is
running at a different sample rate to the 4081.
Change the sample rate of the 4081 using the and buttons on the
front panel buttons until the green led is solid, or the sample frequency of
the word clock source matches that of the 4081.
Picture, right, shows the 4081 locked to a wordclock source at 48kHz.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
FireWire mode (with FireWire connected)
FireWire mode allows the 4081 to be directly connected to a DAW which is
FireWire capable (for example Logic or Reaper) and provides four mono
ADC to FireWire, and four mono FireWire to DAC channels directly from
the DAW.
Before the 4081 can be used with your DAW, the AMS Neve drivers
need to be downloaded and installed from the AMS Neve support site.
Drivers for both the Mac and PC can be downloaded from:
http://www.ams-neve.com/site/Products/Outboard/4081/4081.aspx
Your DAW documentation will have detailed instructions on setting up
your DAW application to work with FireWire devices.
As an added feature, the four ADC channels are also routed to the two
stereo AES/EBU ports when in FireWire mode, allowing the 4081 to
simultaneously be connected to the FireWire DAW, and an AES/EBU I/O
system, such as ProTools.
In FireWire mode, unfortunately, it is not possible to simultaneously route
the AES/EBU inputs to the DAC outputs, as these are reserved for the
FireWire.
Setting the Sync source in FireWire mode
In FireWire mode, selection of the sync source and sample rate is done
entirely from the DAW application, and the two front panel buttons will
have no effect.
When a valid FireWire input is connected, the green FW/M led will
illuminate.
As in standalone mode, the green leds indicate the lock source selected,
and the yellow leds indicate the sample rate (from 44.1kHz to 192kHz).
Picture, left, the 4081 under FireWire control, set to Internal sync running at
192kHz.
AES/EBU lock in FireWire mode
Once AES/EBU sync is selected on the DAW application, the green AES led
will illuminate.
If the green led is flashing, it means that the AES/EBU source is running
at a different sample rate to the 4081.
Change the sample rate of the 4081 from the DAW application until the
green AES/EBU led is solid, or change the sample rate of the
syncronisation source to match that of the 4081.
The sample rate of the 4081 is indicated by the yellow leds.
The 4081 can lock to either of the AES/EBU inputs.
Picture, left, shows the 4081 under FireWire control locked to a 192kHz AES source.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Word clock lock in FireWire mode
Once word clock sync is selected on the DAW application, the green WCLK
led will illuminate.
If the WCLK led is flashing, it means that the word clock source is running
at a different sample rate to that selected on the 4081.
Change the sample rate of the 4081 from the DAW application until the
green AES/EBU led is solid, or change the sample rate of the sync source
to match that of the 4081.
The sample rate the 4081 is locked to is indicated by the yellow leds.
Picture, left, shows the 4081 under FireWire control locked to a word clock source
running at 192kHz.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Installing the software – PC
USB Driver
Before installing the control software, you will need to install a USB driver
on the PC to enable communication between the PC and the 4081.
This can be downloaded from:
http://www.ams-
neve.com/Sites/8/Files/Documents/Outboard/4081_USB_Driver.exe
Before installing the driver, please connect the 4081 by USB to the PC
and power it up.
Click the link to download the driver.
When presented with the option to either Run or Save, click Save and
specify a location for the file to be saved to.
Once it has downloaded, double click the file to run and install it.
The Windows operating system will be determined, as will the correct
driver for your system.
A Windows CMD screen will show the install by a series of progressing
dots.
For users with Windows 7 operating system, the driver has been
successfully installed once the CMD screen closes.
For users with XP or Vista operating systems, as the driver nears the end
of it's installation procedure, the CMD screen will close and the Taskbar
will show two messages:
The first will show that the driver has found new hardware and a USB port
has been detected.
The second will show that it is ready to use.
Once the USB driver has been installed, you can install the 4081 control
software.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Remote Control software
The install procedure is the same regardless of whether the software is
installed on a standalone PC or on a DAW PC.
Double-click the Setup icon and the install will begin.
Click Next.
Select I Accept the Agreement (if you select I Do Not Accept The
Agreement, the install procedure will terminate here).
Click Next.
A summary of the software development will be shown.
Click Next.
Select the location to install the software to.
It is recommended you leave this set to the default location.
Click Next.
You will be asked where you wish to place the programme on the Start
menu.
Either select another destination or leave it at default location
(recommended).
Select either or both of these options if you wish to have a Desktop icon
or a Quick launch icon for the installed application.
Click Next.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Click Install.
The software will start to install, with a bar indicating how far it has
progressed.
If you wish to launch the programme at this point, select Launch 4081
Remote Mic Pre-Amp Controller option before clicking Finish, and the
programme will then open.
Click Finish.
The first time the software is opened, you will need to set the Com Port so
that communication can be established.
Please refer to page 17 to see how to set this.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Installing the software – Mac
USB Driver
The Mac will also need the USB driver installed so it can convert 4081
serial comms to USB.
This is available as a download from our website:
http://www.ams-neve.com/Products/Outboard/4081/4081.aspx
Please install this driver before installing the remote control software.
Remote Control software
This install procedure outlined below is for Mac software version 10.5 or
above.
If you have a different version of Mac OS installed, there may be subtle
differences on the screens shown below, but the install procedure is still
the same.
At any point in the install, you can return to the previous screen by click
Back.
Before installing this software, please connect your 4081 via USB and
power the unit up.
Double click on the icon called Remote Mic Control.pkg and the install
program will open with the Welcome screen.
Click Continue.
The Information screen will display where the software will be installed
on the Mac.
Click Continue.
The License Agreement screen will open.
Click Continue.
You will be asked to confirm that you have read the agreement.
Click Agree.
If you click Disagree,the Install procedure will terminate.
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If you are installing this
software over a
previously installed
version, you must
uninstall the previous
version first before you
replace it with the newer
version.

4081 User Manual Issue 3
You will be asked to select a location to install the software to.
Click on Macintosh HD as shown left, so a green arrow is placed on
the drive on-screen (depending on the number of drives in your system,
this may be done automatically for you).
Click Continue.
Click Install to continue, and the software will start to be installed.
Once installed, a confirmation screen will report it has been installed
successfully.
Click Close.
Once installed, a program called Remote Mic Control will be placed in
the Applications folder.
The programme can either be run from there, or dragged onto the Dock
and run from there.
Operationally, there is no difference between controlling the 4081 from a
Mac or a PC.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Standalone Control Setup – PC version
The software is launched from Windows Start Menu / Programs / 4081
Remote Mic Pre-Amp Controller.
Also at this location is the User Manual plus the option to uninstall.
As the software opens, it will automatically detect how many racks are
connected, and display this information at the bottom of the screen.
•Under each of the numbered racks, a small 4081 graphic will be
displayed for each unit detected.
•The word OFFLINE will be displayed where no unit has been
detected.
A red highlight bar will also indicate the rack whose controls are currently
being displayed on the upper half of the screen.
Once the control software is running, a small Neve icon will appear in the
Windows taskbar.
This will either be displayed in green if the MIDI is running, or in red if it is
not.
As shown left, four racks have been detected, yet it is the
settings for the first rack that are currently displayed (there is
a red highlight bar round Rack 1).
Select the rack you wish to display the settings for by clicking
on the icon underneath Rack 2, Rack 3 etc.
The red highlight bar will confirm your selection.
The screen will be updated with any changes made through
the modules’ front panels, and likewise, the units front panels
will be updated with any changes made on screen.
If you wish to enable the metering on the Main Screen,
ensure the Enable Meters tickbox is checked.
If this is left unticked, the only indication of signal level will be
the SIG and OL leds on the front of the unit.
The Gain can be set by selecting the Gain value from the pulldown
menu (if this value is out of range, the selection will remain unchanged).
The Gain value for Mic and the Gain value for Line will be remembered for
each, so that swapping between Mic and Line will show the previously set
gain value.
The Phantom,Pad, Phase, Impedance, Mic/Line selection and
Insert can all be set by clicking on the appropriate button on-screen
(Phantom, Pad and Impedance can only be selected if Mic is selected
first).
The icons at the bottom of the screen indicate how many remote racks are
connected.
The rack indicated by the red outline is the one currently controlled from
(and displayed on) the upper part of the screen.
To select another rack, click on it's icon and the red outline will move to
indicate that the screen is now displaying parameters for that rack.
You cannot select any unit that is currently displayed as Offline.
The settings can be saved and recalled independently using the Store
Preset and Load Preset buttons that launch conventional Windows Save
and Load dialogues (see below).
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Before starting
the software or
powering the
unit on, please
make sure it is
connected via
USB first.

4081 User Manual Issue 3
These Stores will save all the control settings for all the attached racks,
and not just those for the currently selected rack.
Setup / Test
Important Note
When the Setup / Test screen is open, any changes made on the front of
the unit will not be sent to the on-screen display shown behind the Setup
screen.
This can result is mis-matches between what is selected on the unit, and
what is displayed on-screen.
For this reason, please do not make any changes to the settings on
the front of the unit when the Setup screen is open.
The Setup screen allows you to test that the unit IDs are set correctly, and
also fully configure the software.
As can be seen below, four 4081 units have been detected, as the version
of firmware is displayed next to the first four units.
To test the ID of each unit, click the relevant Test button.
This will flash all of the Phase buttons once on that particular
unit, and you will hear the units internal relays click as this
happens.
Please note that if you wish to change the ID of a unit with
the dip switches, you will need to power-cycle the unit so the
new ID number is sent to the software.
Communications Port
After installing the software, you will need to set this before control can be
established.
This is usually set to COM 3 (depending on your computers particular
hardware configuration).
Please note that once the communications port has been set, the 4081
unit must switched on before the software is restarted.
If this is not observed, the software will fail to find a valid port and will
default back to being Port 1 again.
This will require the correct port to be reselected again.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
MIDI Port Setup
Please see section on Pro Tools Control.
Reset Current Rack / Reset All Racks
Click either of these two buttons to either reset the currently selected
rack, or reset all the detected racks back to default values (both Mic Gain
& Line Gain set to minimum values; all switches set to Off)
Please note that the command to reset everything will not be sent until
Exit is clicked and the Setup page has closed.
Checkboxes
Mini View Always On Top
With the Mini View selected from the Main screen, a cut-down version of
the Settings screen will be displayed instead.
Ticking this option ensures that it is displayed on top of all other
Windows screens that may be open.
With this option unticked, the screen can be placed behind other
Windows screens that may be open.
In all operational aspects, this screen is identical to the full-size screen
except for:
Click << or >> to step through the racks in numerical order (the
display will reflect which rack is being displayed and whether it is
offline/online).
Click the Maximise button to restore the screen back to it's full size.
For units that are offline, the large Gain display will be absent.
Create Debug File
For AMS Neve R&D Dept only and has no operational effect.
Auto Load Last Setup File On Startup
When ticked, once the control software is opened, the last Store file that
was loaded will be reloaded again.
NB: If the settings on the front of the unit have changed in the meantime,
then these changes will be overwritten.
Auto Restore Previous Setup On Startup
When ticked, once the software opens, the settings of all the attached
units as they were when the software was closed will be reloaded again.
NB: If the settings on the front of the unit have changed in the meantime,
then these changes will be overwritten.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Store Preset
When selected, a standard Windows Save dialog will open.
This allows you to take a snapshot of the settings of all the racks that are
currently connected and save it to a desired location.
This file is global, ie it takes a snapshot of all controls for all the connected
racks.
There is no limit to the number of preset files that can be created.
Any Store file created will have a .mic suffix.
Load Preset
Once selected, opens a standard Windows Load dialogue, so that the
files created above can be loaded back to the units.
The settings are global, ie there is nothing to set or select before the
settings are impacted on the attached units.
Select the file to load and then click Open.
All the attached racks will be reset according to the settings held in the
selected file, and the filename will be displayed on the title bar.
This will be displayed until another file with a different name is loaded,
and the filename will be refreshed.
Mini View
Please see Mini View Always On Top, above.
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4081 User Manual Issue 3
Pro Tools Control Setup
Control is sent and received between the 4081 and Pro Tools via USB or
RS 485 protocol.
It is necessary for a suitable driver to be installed on the Pro Tools computer
such as the MIDIOverLAN driver available from www.nerds.de.
For more information, please click on the above link.
NB:
Without this driver installed, none of the midi ports will appear as described
below.
The first 4081 unit needs to have the USB / RS485 switch on the rear of
the unit set to USB (plus a USB cable from the unit to the PC / Mac).
Subsequent units in the daisy-chain, need to have this switch set to
RS485 (plus the RS485 cable needs to connect these units together).
Open the Remote Mic Control.app application.
This will appear either as an icon on the desktop or can be accessed from
the Applications folder.
On the main page, click Setup and the General screen will open.
At the top of the screen, click MIDI.
In both upper displays, click the Midi In and Midi Out you wish to link
and then click Link Port.
The ports that have been linked will appear in the lower window.
Repeat for as many midi ports you wish to link.
These midi streams must match those set in Pro Tools.
Under the lower window, click Start Midi.
The Start Midi button will now say Stop Midi to indicate that the midi
communication has been started.
On the main screen, MIDI ON will be displayed in green text (just above
the rack 8 icon) to show that the midi comms have been started.
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Depending on how your Mac
is configured, you may need
to enable the USB port in
Setup / Communication.
Before starting the software or powering the unit on,
please ensure it is connected via USB first.