PRESONUS Revelator io44 User manual

Revelator io44
USB-C Compatible Audio Interface with
Integrated Loopback Mixer and Effects
Owner’s Manual

Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
1. Overview 5
1.1 Introduction 5
1.2 What's in the box? 6
1.2.1 What is in your MyPreSonus account 7
Step 2: Download and Install Universal Control 10
1.2.2 Step 3: Download and Install Studio One Artist (Optional) 11
2. Connections and Controls 13
2.1 Control Panel 13
2.1.1 Front Panel 16
2.1.2 Back Panel 17
2.1.3 Connection Diagram 18
2.1.4 Setting the Input Level 19
2.1.5 Setting Main Output level 20
2.1.6 Setting Headphone level 21
2.1.7 Setting Monitor blend 21
3. Universal Control 23
3.1 The Launch Window 23
3.2 Launch Window Menu Items 24
3.3 Using Your Revelator io44 with Popular Applications 25
3.3.1 Using Revelator io44 for System Audio 26
3.3.2 Windows 26
3.3.3 macOS 28
3.3.4 Using Revelator io44 for Skype 30
3.3.5 Using Revelator io44 for Google Meet 37
3.3.6 Using Revelator io44 for OBS 38
3.3.7 Using Revelator io44 on Chromebook 38
3.3.8 Using Revelator io44 with Zoom on Chromebook 39
3.3.9 Using Revelator io44 with Google Meet on Chromebook 40
3.4 Using Revelator io44 with iOS/iPadOS devices 42
3.5 Using Revelator io44 with Android devices 43
4. Presets and Scenes 44
4.1 Preset Management 44
4.1.1 Factory Presets 45

4.1.2 Changing Preset Button Slots 45
4.1.3 Storing New Presets 47
4.1.4 Exporting/Importing Presets 49
4.1.5 Scenes - Save and Recall 53
4.1.6 Sharing Scenes and Presets 54
5. Fat Channel and Voice Effects 55
5.1 Fat Channel and Voice FX 55
6. Mixing and Loopback Audio 63
6.1 Mixer Controls 64
6.1.1 Microphone Channel Controls 64
6.1.2 Mixer Channel Controls 64
6.1.3 Main Output Controls and Mix Selection 65
6.1.4 Feedback Loops are Bad 67
7. Advanced Features and Customization Tools 68
7.1 Settings Menu 68
7.2 Advanced Fat Channel and Voice Effects Controls 69
7.2.1 High Pass Filter 69
7.2.2 Noise Gate 70
7.2.3 Compressor 71
7.2.4 Standard Compressor 72
7.2.5 Tube Leveling Amplifier 73
7.2.6 Class-A FET Compressor 73
7.2.7 Changing the Signal Chain 74
7.2.8 Equalizer 74
7.2.9 Standard EQ 75
7.2.10 Passive Program EQ 76
7.2.11 Vintage 1970s EQ 77
7.2.12 Limiter 77
7.2.13 Voice FX 77
7.2.14 Doubler 78
7.2.15 Detuner 78
7.2.16 Vocoder 79
7.2.17 Ring Modulator 80
7.2.18 Filters 80
7.2.19 Delay 81

8. Studio One Artist Quick Start 83
8.1 Installation and Authorization 83
8.2 Setting Up Studio One Artist 85
8.2.1 Configuring Audio Devices 85
8.3 Configuring MIDI Devices 86
8.4 Creating a New Song 90
9. Configuring Your I/O 92
10. Creating Audio and Instrument Tracks 94
10.0.1 Recording an Audio Track 95
10.0.2 Adding Virtual Instruments and Effects 95
11. Resources 98
11.1 Gain Staging 101: Begin at the Beginning 98
11.1.1 Step 1: Setting the Microphone Gain 98
11.1.2 Step 2: Setting the EQ and Dynamics 99
11.1.3 Step 3: Setting Your Mix—The Unity Myth 99
11.1.4 Microphone Tips and Tricks 100
11.1.5 Handling Noise 100
11.1.6 How Close is Too Close? 100
11.1.7 Problematic Pronunciation 100
11.1.8 Putting it All Together 101
11.1.9 Technical Specifications 102
12. Dinner is Served! 105
13. Legal 106

1. Overview
1.1 Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the Revelator io44 audio interface! Revel-
ator io44 is a powerful recording solution for your home studio and
doubles as a perfect audio interface for podcasting—or livestreaming
DJsets and gameplay.
It’s designed to deliver polished, professional-sounding results with
ease. Once you’ve registered your Revelator io44 at my.-
presonus.com, you’ll be able to download your drivers, a com-
plimentary copy of Studio One Artist, additional plug-ins, content, and
more. It’s our gift to you for becoming a PreSonus customer.
We suggest you read this manual to familiarize yourself with the fea-
tures and applications for your Revelator io44 before trying to connect
it to your computer. This will help you to avoid problems during install-
ation and use.
Throughout this manual you will find Power User Tips. These tips and
tricks will help you to become a Revelator io44 expert—as well as
help you to better understand audio terminology, so you can get the
most from your purchase and get the best sound quality possible.
Thanks for joining the PreSonus family. We’re glad you’re here.
1. Overview 5

1.2 What's in the box?
Your Revelator io44 package contains:
Revelator io44 USB audio interface
1M USB-C-to-USB-A Cable. Use this to connect your Revelator io44 to a
USB port on your computer or a powered USB hub.
Quick Start Guide. Use this as a handy reference guide to your hardware fea-
tures while you familiarize yourself with your new interface.
1.2 What's in the box? 6

PreSonus Health, Safety, and Compliance Guide. Legal language to cure
your insomnia.
Warranty/Registration Card.
1.2.1 What is in your MyPreSonus account
There’s more to your Revelator io44 than what comes in the box! Let’s take a moment to
register your Revelator io44 and download the digital products that come with it. These
include:
lUniversal Control. Unlock the StudioLive inside your Revelator io44 with Universal Control. This
installation package also includes your audio driver controls that you will need to use advanced Revel-
ator io44 features.
lStudio One Artist. Studio One Artist is our award-winning recording and production software. It’s also
designed to be intuitive and easy to use, so whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting
out, Studio One Artist has the tools you need to make a great recording.
lStudio Magic Bundle. Over $1000 USD worth of plug-ins, sounds, and more; Studio Magic super-
charges your Studio One Artist experience!
Step 1: Register Revelator io44
To download your digital products, you must first create a MyPreSonus account. This account lets you
manage all your PreSonus product registrations, provides curated educational content, and is the portal
to all tech support and service inquiries. Let’s get started!
1.2.1 What is in your MyPreSonus account 7

In your Internet browser of choice, visit my.presonus.com and click “Create Account.”
Power User Tip:If you already have a MyPreSonus account, please log in and skip to step 5.
Fill in the form with the required information. Make sure to verify that you are, in fact, human and agree to
our PreSonus Terms of Use. If you’d like to receive occasional emails about promotions and new video
content, check that box now as well.
Click “Save.”
1.2.1 What is in your MyPreSonus account 8

Click “Go to MyPreSonus” to log into your shiny new MyPreSonus account.
Click “Register a Product.”
In the pop-up menu, click on the Hardware tab.
Select your purchase date and enter your Revelator io44 Serial Number. You can find your serial number
on the bottom of your interface as well as on your Quick Start Guide.
Click Register.
1.2.1 What is in your MyPreSonus account 9

Click View Product to download your companion software.
Step 2: Download and Install Universal Control
From the Revelator io44 product listing in MyPreSonus, click the “Download Universal Control” button at
the top. MyPreSonus will scan your computer and present the correct installer for your operating system.
Locate the Universal Control installer in your Downloads folder. Double click to open it.
Follow the onscreen instructions to install Universal Control.
See the Universal Control section for information and use instructions for all the advanced features avail-
able.
Step 2: Download and Install Universal Control 10

1.2.2 Step 3: Download and Install Studio One Artist (Optional)
From the Revelator io44 product listing in MyPreSonus, locate Studio One Artist from the product listing.
Quick links to every digital product that comes with your Revelator io44 will be listed here. Click the
“Download Installer” button at the bottom of the Studio One Artist listing. MyPreSonus will scan your com-
puter and present the correct installer for your operating system.
Power User Tip: You may be prompted to enter your My.PreSonus user account information. Clicking “Remem-
ber Credentials” will allow you to have immediate access to any content you purchase from shop.presonus.com.
Studio One Artist comes bundled with an array of demo and tutorial materials, instruments, loops, and
samples. The first time you launch Studio One Artist, you will be prompted to install its companion con-
tent. Select the content you wish to add and click “Install.” The content will automatically begin to down-
load and install from your My.PreSonus user account.
Power User Tip: To select only a portion of the available content, click on “Show Packages.” From here you
can customize your content installation.
See the Studio One Artist Quick Start Guide for help getting started recording and mixing in Studio One
Artist.
Step 4: Download and Install Studio Magic (Optional)
From the Revelator io44 product listing in MyPreSonus, you will also find a complete list with links to all
the Studio Magic products that came with your Revelator io44 registration. Click on the “View More
Details” button below any product you’d like to install.
1.2.2 Step 3: Download and Install Studio One Artist (Optional) 11

Studio Magic software is developed by many different manufacturers, so MyPreSonus will send you to
their respective websites for download and installation.
1.2.2 Step 3: Download and Install Studio One Artist (Optional) 12

2. Connections and Controls
2.1 Control Panel
Multipurpose Encoder Knob. This is a lot more than a simple volume
knob! It’s also a button, and can be used to control many features of your
Revelator io44:
lFrom the Home screen, press it to cycle through Headphone volume, Main
volume, and Monitor Blend. Rotate to edit the selected option.
lFrom the Channel screen, press to cycle through +48v, Gain, and High-
pass filter options. Rotate to edit the selected option.
2. Connections and Controls 13

Channel Select Buttons. Press to display information about Chan-
nel 1, Headset, or Line in connections on the screen.
Back Button. Returns display on screen to default Home view.
Preset Selectors. Cycles through presets for Channel 1 and the
Headset in, respectively. Press to cycle through Presets; press and
hold to bypass Presets.
Mute. Enables/Disables the Main Outs. Has no effect on Headphone Out.
The Screen
The screen displays metering, preset selection, and other important information.
The following information is displayed on Revelator io44’s Home screen. This is the default screen you’ll
see when you first use Revelator io44.
1. Input Meters. These meters indicate the input level of the analog inputs on your Revelator io44. The
red Clip indicator will light when your input signal reaches -0.5 dBFS. At this level, the signal will begin
to overload the analog-to-digital converters and exhibit signs of clipping. Use the gain controls to
keep the signal below this level.
2. Output Meters. These meters indicate the signal level received from the first two driver returns (Main
Left/Right). These meters display the signal level before the main output level control.
3. Output Volume/Blend. This indicates output volume of the currently-selected output (Headphones
or Mains) just like a volume knob—as well as Monitor Blend.
4. Encoder status. Lets you know if the Encoder Knob is controlling Headphone output level, Main
2.1 Control Panel 14

output level, or monitor Blend (direct vs. hardware.)
5. USB Status indicator. Confirms that Revelator io44 is connected via USB and functioning normally.
6. Preset indicators. These lights indicate the preset selection of both channels. If presets are
bypassed, both will be dark.
7. Input Clip indicator. Lights red when the incoming signal is too loud for the converter, causing dis-
tortion.
8. Output Clip indicator. Lights red when the outgoing signal is too loud..
9. +48v indicator. Informs you if +48v power has been activated—required for most condenser micro-
phones.
WARNING: Phantom power is only required for condenser microphones and can severely
damage some dynamic mics, especially ribbon mics. Therefore, switch phantom power off
when it is not required. Consult the user documentation that came with your microphone
before engaging phantom power.
XLR connector wiring for phantom power:
Pin 1 = GND Pin 2 = +48V Pin 3 = +48V
The following information is displayed on Revelator io44’s Channel screens. Press the Channel Select
Buttons (<or >) to bring it up. There are three separate screens for Mic/Inst (the combo input), the Head-
set, and the Line In channels. Press the Back button to return to the Home screen.
From the Channel screen, the Encoder Knob can be pressed to cycle through the following options:
1. Gain. Rotate the Encoder to turn input Gain up or down. Use this to bring your connected instrument
or microphone signals up or down to suitable recording levels. Avoid aforementioned clipping.
2. High-pass filter 80Hz. Rotate the Encoder to turn the High-pass filter on and off. This can be used to
cut low-end rumble and other unwanted low frequencies from your recordings.
3. +48v Phantom Power. Rotate the Encoder to enable/disable +48v power for attached condenser
microphones.
Other information on the Channel screen includes:
4. Input Meter. This meter indicates the input level of the selected channel on your Revelator io44, just
like on the Home screen.
5. Gain reduction meter. If you’re running any compression or limiting via Revelator io44’s DSP
(Digital Signal Processing), the amount of gain reduction being applied will be indicated by this blue
meter.
2.1 Control Panel 15

6. Preset indicators. These lights indicate the preset selection of the currently-selected channel, includ-
ing none.
Note that there is no option for +48v on the Headset and Line In Channels, and no high-pass filter option
on the Line In channel. This is normal.
2.1.1 Front Panel
Mic/Inst input. Channel 1 of your Revelator io44 interface is equipped with a
combo jack. This convenient connector accepts either a ¼-inch
TSconnection for high-impedence instrument sources like guitars and
basses, or an XLR connector for professional microphones. The
XLRconnection's XMAX-L solid-state microphone preamp is optimized for
bus power.
Please note: As with any audio input device, plugging in a microphone or an
instrument, or turning phantom power on or off, will create a momentary spike
in the audio output. Because of this, we highly recommend that you turn down
the channel trim before changing connections or turning phantom power on
or off. This simple step will add years to life of your audio equipment.
Headset connection. This 1/8-inch TRRS Headset connection is both a mono input
for the headset microphone and a stereo output for your headphones.
2.1.1 Front Panel 16

Line In. This 1/8-inch TRSinput is suitable for line-level stereo sources like
DJmixers, mobile devices, synthesizers, and more.
2.1.2 Back Panel
Kensington Lock. Connect this port to a Kensington lock to prevent theft.
USB-C Port. Use this port to connect your Revelator io44 to your computer. While the
Revelator io44 connects using USB-C, it is fully compatible with USB 2.0 and 3.0 con-
nections. Use the USB-C to A cable that came with your Revelator io44 if your com-
puter has a USB-A connection rather than a USB-C connection.
Please note: The Revelator io44 is backward compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0
speed connections. USB 1.1 is not supported.
Main Outs. These are the Main outputs for the Revelator io44. The
output level of the Main outputs is controlled by the Main level control
on the front of the unit. Playback streams 1 and 2 are routed to these
outputs.
2.1.2 Back Panel 17

2.1.3 Connection Diagram
2.1.3 Connection Diagram 18

Standalone controls
While many of the features available for your Revelator io44 can be found in Universal Control, critical
controls are available right at your fingertips. Most of these settings can be changed from Universal Con-
trol to customize your Revelator io44 to your application and needs.
The most important thing to remember is that the Multipurpose Encoder on your Revelator io44 can be
used for nearly everything! From either the Home or Channel screen, pressing the Encoder will cycle
through the available options, and rotating it will adjust the parameters.
From the Home screen you can:
lAdjust your Headphone volume
lAdjust your Main Out volume
lBlend your mix between your input signal and the playback from your computer
And from the Channel screens you can:
Channel 1:
lSet your mic level
lToggle +48v phantom power
lToggle the 80Hz High-pass filter
lToggle Presets
Headset:
lSet your mic level
lToggle the 80Hz High-pass filter
lToggle Presets
Line In:
lSet your input level
2.1.4 Setting the Input Level
To set Channel 1's mic input level, press the Channel select
button until you've selected Channel 1. Next, press the
encoder to cycle through the available options. A yellow
underline will indicate the currently-selected option. Once
you’ve selected the Gain setting—it’s shown below the Chan-
nel indicator number and measured in dB (decibels)—turn the
Encoder to set the desired gain level.
2.1.4 Setting the Input Level 19

To set the input level for the Headset and Line inputs, select
their Channels and repeat the above. Note that the Line In
has no option other than input level.
Power User Tip: If your input level is too loud, the clip indicator will display in red above the input level meter.
This means that your input signal is clipping, and will begin to sound distorted. If your input signal clips, it will
overload the analog-to-digital converters and cause digital distortion. Digital distortion sounds terrible, and can-
not be undone if recorded. Because of this, it’s important to keep your eye on this indicator while you’re setting
your levels. Check out the Resources section for other recording tips.
2.1.5 Setting Main Output level
By default, the Encoder knob on your Revelator io44 controls
the output level of your Main Outputs—the outputs you have
your speakers connected to. From the home screen, press
the Encoder repeatedly until the speaker icon appears below
the Volume indicator. Then rotate the Encoder to set the
desired Main output level.
2.1.5 Setting Main Output level 20