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 Deinstalling the Drivers........................................15
10.4 Firmware Update..................................................15
11 Configuring the Fireface
11.1 Settings dialog – General.....................................16
11.2 Settings dialog – Input Gain.................................19
11.3 Settings dialog – DDS..........................................19
11.4 Clock Modes - Synchronization............................21
11.5 Limit Bandwidth....................................................22
12 Operation and Usage
12.1 Playback...............................................................23
12.2 DVD Playback (AC-3 / DTS) ................................24
12.3 Low Latency under MME......................................25
12.4 Notes on WDM.....................................................26
12.5 Multi-client Operation ...........................................27
12.6 Digital Recording..................................................28
12.7 Analog Recording.................................................29
13 Operation under ASIO 2.0
13.1 General ................................................................29
13.2 Known Problems..................................................30
14 Operation under GSIF.............................................30
15 Using more than one Fireface................................31
16 DIGICheck................................................................32
17 Hotline – Troubleshooting
17.1 General ................................................................33
17.2 Installation............................................................34
18 Diagrams
18.1 Channel Routing ASIO 96 kHz ............................35
18.2 Channel Routing MME 96 kHz.............................36
Installation and Operation - Mac OS X
19 Hardware Installation..............................................38
20 Driver
20.1 Driver Installation .................................................38
20.2 Driver Update.......................................................39
21 Firmware Update.....................................................39

User's Guide Fireface 400 © RME 3
22 Configuring the Fireface
22.1 Settings Dialog – General....................................40
22.2 Settings Dialog – Input Gain................................43
22.3 Settings Dialog – DDS .........................................43
22.4 Clock Modes - Synchronization ...........................45
22.5 Limit Bandwidth....................................................46
23 Mac OS X FAQ
23.1 Round about Driver Installation............................47
23.2 MIDI doesn't work................................................47
23.3 Supported Sample Rates.....................................48
23.4 Repairing Disk Permissions.................................48
23.5 FireWire Compatibility..........................................48
23.6 Various Information..............................................48
24 Hotline – Troubleshooting .....................................49
25 Diagram: Channel Routing at 96 kHz......................50
Stand-Alone Operation, Connections and TotalMix
26 Stand-alone Operation
26.1 Front Panel Operation .........................................52
26.2 8-channel AD/DA-Converter................................53
26.3 2-channel Mic Preamp.........................................53
26.4 Monitor Mixer .......................................................53
26.5 Digital Format Converter......................................53
26.6 Analog/digital Routing Matrix...............................53
27 Analog Inputs
27.1 Line Rear .............................................................54
27.2 Microphone / Line Front.......................................54
27.3 Instrument / Line Front.........................................55
28 Analog Outputs
28.1 Line......................................................................56
28.2 Phones (7/8) ........................................................56
29 Digital Connections
29.1 ADAT ...................................................................57
29.2 SPDIF...................................................................57
29.3 MIDI......................................................................58
30 Word Clock
30.1 Word Clock Input and Output ..............................59
30.2 Technical Description and Background...............60
30.3 Cables and Termination.......................................61
30.4 General Operation................................................61
31 TotalMix: Routing and Monitoring
31.1 Overview..............................................................62
31.2 The User Interface...............................................64
31.3 Elements of a Channel ........................................65
31.4 Tour de TotalMix..................................................65
31.5 Submix View ........................................................67
31.6 Mute and Solo......................................................67
31.7 Quick Access Panel.............................................68
31.8 Presets.................................................................68
31.9 Monitor Panel.......................................................70
31.10 Preferences........................................................70
31.11 Editing the Names..............................................71
31.12 Hotkeys ..............................................................72
31.13 Menu Options.....................................................73
31.14 Level Meter ........................................................74

4 User's Guide Fireface 400 © RME
32 TotalMix: The Matrix
32.1 Overview..............................................................75
32.2 Elements of the Matrix View ................................75
32.3 Usage...................................................................75
32.4 Advantages of the Matrix .....................................76
33 TotalMix Super-Features
33.1 ASIO Direct Monitoring (Windows only) ..............76
33.2 Selection and Group based Operation ................77
33.3 Copy Routings to other Channels........................77
33.4 Delete Routings....................................................77
33.5 Recording a Subgroup (Loopback)......................78
33.6 Using external Effects Devices............................79
33.7 MS Processing.....................................................80
34 TotalMix MIDI Remote Control
34.1 Overview ..............................................................81
34.2 Mapping ...............................................................81
34.3 Setup....................................................................82
34.4 Operation .............................................................82
34.5 Simple MIDI Control.............................................83
34.6 Loopback Detection .............................................83
34.7 Stand-Alone MIDI Control....................................84
Technical Reference
35 Tech Info ..................................................................88
36 Technical Specifications
36.1 Analog..................................................................89
36.2 MIDI......................................................................90
36.3 Digital ...................................................................90
36.4 Digital Inputs ........................................................90
36.5 Digital Outputs......................................................91
36.6 Transfer Modes: Resolution/Bits per Sample......91
36.7 General ................................................................91
37 Technical Background
37.1 Lock and SyncCheck ...........................................92
37.2 Latency and Monitoring........................................93
37.3 FireWire Audio .....................................................94
37.4 Number of Channels and Bus Load.....................95
37.5 DS – Double Speed .............................................96
37.6 QS – Quad Speed................................................96
37.7 AES/EBU – SPDIF...............................................97
37.8 Noise Level in DS / QS Mode..............................98
37.9 SteadyClock.........................................................98
38 Diagrams
38.1 Block Diagram Fireface........................................99
38.2 Connector Pinouts .............................................100

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