Using MOTU Interface in EMS A and B

A few people have asked me how to use the MOTU Audio Interface to hook up their own computer to the speakers in the Electronic Music Studios. This is a guide on how to do it.

Step 1: Install the MOTU 828mkII drivers on your laptop. You can either goto the MOTU website and download it yourself or you can copy and paste them from the desktop of the computer. In EMS A, I have put a folder on the desktop with the drivers. It should work for both Mac and Windows. They will be added to the EMS B computer soon.

Step 2: Plug in a firewire 800 cable to your laptop and plug in the other end to the firewire 800 jack labeled "Interface"

Step 3: Goto the System Preferences on your laptop and select the MOTU as the interface.

Step 4: Patch the output of the MOTU interface to some part of the console. You can patch into console faders and route them to the Program Bus. I like to patch into 6TK3.

Step 5: At this point, all you should have to do is play audio from your laptop and turn the volume up on the console. Make sure that you have done your bussing correctly on the console or have 6TK3 selected. Also, open up the MOTU software that you installed and check to make sure your sound preferences are as shown below.

Enjoy working from your own computer!

Welcome Back/Summer Maintenance 2012

Welcome back to a new school year! I just wanted to provide some updates about maintenance that happened in the studios this summer.

A quick overview of some of the changes:

1. All 3 studios now have 3 displays that function as an extended desktop. You can drag the windows around in any configuration that suits your workflow.

2. The TC6000 remote screen is now mirrored on one of the 46'' displays in both the Audio Studio and EMS B. It is hooked up to the VGA input. Use the VGA for the TC6000 and DVI for the computer monitor.

3. Fans were installed in the API Vision console in the Audio Studio and EMS B that will help regulate the console temperature.

4. A samples drive has been loaded into the computers in EMS A, EMS B and the Audio Studio. They are currently loaded with "Discrete Drums." Over time, we hope to add more sample packs to the drive.

5. The hum in the right surround Alt 2 speaker in the Audio Studio has been repaired

6. Durrough meters were installed in EMS B. They are currently not normalled to outputs 1-8, however you can patch into them. We plan on fixing the normalling as soon as possible.

7. We had a slight power supply issue this summer in the Audio Studio. Dave and I were able to diagnose and fix the problem over the course of 2 days. For a second, we thought we were in for some big trouble. I got to learn how the power supplies are setup and routed for the API Vision Console.

8. The interface for the meters in EMS B was changed and they are much more stable and reliable.

These are just some of the highlights. We completed even more maintenance than this, especially in terms of infrastructure. Hope you enjoy the rooms

Bad Channels in EMS B

There are 3 fader 1 channels in EMS B that do not work as expected. They are channels 2, 22 and 27. Channels 2 and 22 have gone bad at the EQ. If you bypass the console EQ, you will gain access to these channels again. You can do this by simply pressing the blue "byp" button underneath the EQ. Further troubleshooting needs to happen on channel 27.

Migrating Sessions between the Audio Studio and EMS B

Now that the studios are being used in full swing, many of you are bouncing back and forth between the different studios. This is wonderful and encouraged. In this post, I will show you what settings to change in order to move your sessions between the Audio Studio and EMS B.

CLOCK:

The first setting you need to change is related to the clock. In the Audio Studio, the clock is an internal clock generated by the Apogee Symphony I/O Converters/Interface. In EMS B, the clock source is the SYNC I/O. When you open up a session from a different studio, if the clock is not set properly, the converters will blink and you will often here a periodic clicking noise.

To change the clock, follow the steps below.

1. Goto the "Setup" Menu in ProTools and select "Session"

2. Find the Clock pull down menu and select the correct setting.

3. If you are using EMS B, it should read "SYNC." If you are using the Audio Studio, it should read "192 I/O #1 Internal"

EMS Setup Session Picture

Audio Studio Setup Session Picture

I/O:

The next step is to configure your I/O to match the converter setup for each respective room. In order to do this, goto the "Setup" menu in ProTools and select "I/O." Match the current I/O with the pictures below and you should be all set.

EMS B Input

EMS B Output

Audio Studio Input

Audio Studio Output

Eventide H8000

The Eventide H8000 in EMS B has not been working for a few days. One of the studio users had gone into the setup features and turned the Analog input level to -100dB, effectively turning the inputs to the unit off.

PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE SETUP PARAMETERS ON THE EVENTIDE IN THE AUDIO STUDIO OR EMS B. It makes it really difficult for the next user to know what has changed.

The unit in EMS B should be working as expected now.

EMS B Meters

The EMS B Meters have only been working intermittently as of late. I have debugged this problem mostly, and the meters should be working correctly. There are a few settings that seem to time out every once in a while that you should know about. If you do not see the meters working check the following:

Open up Matrix Settings under the Surround Menu.

Make sure that the box labeled "Read Output" is NOT checked.

There is also a great feature where you can have the software open, but have the meters turned off. You must make sure that the meters are on. If they are not working, goto the Surround Menu and select "All On."

If you experience any metering problems, please let the Audio Staff know by filling out the logbook and by sending us an email

Console HUI in EMS B

Many users like the tactile control of faders, but prefer to use an "In the Box" workflow. For users who subscribe to this camp, control surfaces are a great tool. The API Vision console allows you to use the console as a control surface. You can use the console as a HUI control surface, by simply configuring ProTools and enabling control surface mode on the console. (Please note that the console control surface only allows you to control faders, solos and mutes.)

To configure ProTools, goto the 'Setup' menu and select 'Peripherals.' Tab over to 'MIDI Controllers' and assign the different fields to look like the picture below. This ProTools configuration is for EMS B ONLY. The send and receive channel numbers are different in the Audio Studio, but the process is the same.

Next, goto the Vision control panel and make sure the 'ENABLE CTRL SURF' button is pressed and glowing green. The console should now mirror your ProTools mixer.

Fixed EMS B Left Channel Speaker

The left speaker in EMS B was causing lots of crackling noise. We originally thought that it was either an opamp going bad from the output or input section of the API Vision console. Each channel/set of channels has a card with the opamps on it. I swapped out opamps on the output section and found that the noise went down but was still present. I then swapped the L/R input channel card with the SL/SR card expecting that the noise should migrate with the bad opamp to a different speaker. The problem did not migrate, which was very confusing. This pointed to the fact that it might not be a bad opamp, which was unexpected.

Dave and I eventually found that it was another part of the output card that went bad. We received a new card from API, swapped out the old card for the new one and the problem disappeared. We are taken preventative measures for the other 6 channels to avoid this problem. Below are some pictures from the troubleshooting.

Installed A and B Speakers in EMS B

On Friday, Jacques + Audio Staff installed the A and B side speakers in EMS B. These speakers are a unique feature to the room. It allows the room to function as a 7.1 or 8.0 setup. 7.1 is the blu-ray standard and 8.0 will allow users to compose in new and creative ways.