RME Audio Fireface 400 User manual

User's Guide
Fireface 400
Portable FireWire®at its best!
FireWire 400 Digital I/O System
8 + 8 + 2 Channels Analog / ADAT / SPDIF Interface
24 Bit / 192 kHz Digital Audio
36 x 18 Matrix Router
MIDI I/O
Stand-Alone Operation
MIDI Remote Control
Stand-Alone MIDI Controlled Operation
TotalMix™
24 Bit / 192 kHz 9
SyncAlign™ZLM™SyncCheck™
SteadyClock™

2 User's Guide Fireface 400 © RME
General
1 Introduction ...............................................................6
2 Package Contents.....................................................6
3 System Requirements ..............................................6
4 Brief Description and Characteristics.....................6
5 First Usage - Quick Start
5.1 Connectors and Front Panel...................................7
5.2 Quick Start ..............................................................9
6 Accessories...............................................................9
7 Warranty...................................................................10
8 Appendix..................................................................10
Installation and Operation - Windows
9 Hardware Installation..............................................14
10 Driver and Firmware
10.1 Driver Installation .................................................14
10.2 Driver Update.......................................................15
10.3 De-installing the Drivers.......................................15
10.4 Firmware Update..................................................15
11 Configuring the Fireface
11.1 Settings Dialog – General....................................16
11.2 Settings Dialog – Analog......................................18
11.3 Settings Dialog – Pitch.........................................19
11.4 Settings Dialog – LTC ..........................................20
11.5 Clock Modes - Synchronization............................20
11.6 Limit Bandwidth....................................................21
12 Operation and Usage
12.1 Playback...............................................................22
12.2 DVD Playback (AC-3 / DTS) ................................23
12.3 Notes on WDM.....................................................24
12.4 Channel Count under WDM.................................25
12.5 Multi-client Operation ...........................................25
12.6 Digital Recording..................................................26
12.7 Analog Recording.................................................26
13 Operation under ASIO
13.1 General ................................................................27
13.2 Channel Count under ASIO.................................27
13.3 Known Problems..................................................28
14 Intentionally left blank ............................................28
15 Using more than one Fireface................................28
16 DIGICheck................................................................29
17 Hotline – Troubleshooting......................................30
Installation and Operation - Mac OS X
18 Hardware Installation..............................................32
19 Driver
19.1 Driver Installation .................................................32
19.2 Driver Update.......................................................33
19.3 Firmware Update..................................................33

User's Guide Fireface 400 © RME 3
20 Configuring the Fireface
20.1 Settings Dialog.....................................................34
20.2 Clock Modes - Synchronization...........................36
20.3 Limit Bandwidth....................................................37
21 Mac OS X FAQ
21.1 Round about Driver Installation ...........................38
21.2 MIDI doesn't work................................................38
21.3 Repairing Disk Permissions.................................38
21.4 Supported Sample Rates.....................................38
21.5 Channel Count under Core Audio .......................39
21.6 FireWire Compatibility..........................................39
21.7 Various Information..............................................39
22 Using more than one Fireface ...............................40
23 DIGICheck Mac........................................................40
24 Hotline – Troubleshooting .....................................41
Stand-Alone Operation, Connections and TotalMix
25 Stand-alone Operation
25.1 Front Panel Operation .........................................44
25.2 8-channel AD/DA-Converter................................45
25.3 2-channel Mic Preamp.........................................45
25.4 Monitor Mixer.......................................................45
25.5 Digital Format Converter......................................45
25.6 Analog/digital Routing Matrix...............................45
26 Analog Inputs
26.1 Line Rear .............................................................46
26.2 Microphone / Line Front.......................................46
26.3 Instrument / Line Front.........................................47
27 Analog Outputs
27.1 Line ......................................................................48
27.2 Phones (7/8) ........................................................48
28 Digital Connections
28.1 ADAT ...................................................................49
28.2 SPDIF ..................................................................49
28.3 MIDI .....................................................................50
29 Word Clock
29.1 Word Clock Input and Output ..............................51
29.2 Technical Description and Background...............52
29.3 Cables and Termination.......................................53
29.4 General Operation...............................................53
30 TotalMix: Routing and Monitoring
30.1 Overview..............................................................54
30.2 The User Interface...............................................56
30.3 Elements of a Channel ........................................57
30.4 Tour de TotalMix..................................................57
30.5 Submix View........................................................59
30.6 Mute and Solo......................................................59
30.7 Quick Access Panel.............................................60
30.8 Presets.................................................................60
30.9 Monitor Panel.......................................................62
30.10 Preferences..........................................................62
30.11 Editing the Names ...............................................63
30.12 Hotkeys................................................................64
30.13 Menu Options.......................................................65
30.14 Level Meter..........................................................66

4 User's Guide Fireface 400 © RME
31 TotalMix: The Matrix
31.1 Overview ..............................................................67
31.2 Elements of the Matrix View ................................67
31.3 Usage...................................................................67
31.4 Advantages of the Matrix .....................................68
32 TotalMix Super-Features
32.1 ASIO Direct Monitoring (Windows only) ..............68
32.2 Selection and Group based Operation ................69
32.3 Copy Routings to other Channels........................69
32.4 Delete Routings....................................................69
32.5 Recording a Subgroup (Loopback)......................70
32.6 Using external Effects Devices............................71
32.7 MS Processing.....................................................72
33 MIDI Remote Control
33.1 Overview ..............................................................73
33.2 Mapping ...............................................................73
33.3 Setup....................................................................74
33.4 Operation .............................................................74
33.5 Simple MIDI Control.............................................75
33.6 Loopback Detection .............................................76
33.7 Stand-Alone MIDI Control....................................77
Technical Reference
34 Technical Specifications
34.1 Analog..................................................................80
34.2 MIDI......................................................................81
34.3 Digital ...................................................................81
34.4 Digital Inputs ........................................................81
34.5 Digital Outputs......................................................82
34.6 General ................................................................82
35 Technical Background
35.1 Lock and SyncCheck ...........................................83
35.2 Latency and Monitoring........................................84
35.3 FireWire Audio .....................................................85
35.4 Number of Channels and Bus Load.....................86
35.5 DS – Double Speed .............................................87
35.6 QS – Quad Speed................................................87
35.7 AES/EBU – SPDIF...............................................88
35.8 Noise Level in DS / QS Mode..............................89
35.9 SteadyClock.........................................................89
36 Diagrams
36.1 Block Diagram Fireface........................................90
36.2 Connector Pinouts................................................91

User's Guide Fireface 400 © RME 5
User's Guide
Fireface 400
General