Two headphone outputs are provided on the front panel with dedicated rotary level controls. The front panel A/B selector switch is designed to give you control over your input monitoring, or give you immediate access to selectable stereo monitor sourcesyou make the choice from the software Control Panel. The main front panel rotary encoder can be assigned via the Control Panel to adjust a variety of software or hardware levels, while the FireWire 1814 can be powered via the FireWire bus for total portability.*
*Bus powered six-pin FireWire connection only. Use the DC power adapter for four-pin FireWire operation.
Mounting the device to a rack drawer
Holes are located on the left and right of the bottom of the FireWire 1814. You can use the included screws to mount this device to a rack tray as shown below. The FireWire 1814 is mountable on either the left or right side of the drawer. If you choose to mount the device to a rack tray, you must first remove the rubber pads from the base of the unit.

4 FireWire 1814 Features

8 unbalanced analog 1/4 TS inputs 4 balanced/unbalanced analog 1/4 TRS outputs 1 x 1 ADAT Optical Lightpipe I/O; ADAT Optical is S/MUX-compatible for 4channel 96kHz operation 1 x 1 Coaxial or Optical S/PDIF operation. Output signal will be mirrored on both S/PDIF ports high-quality mic/instrument preamps on XLR/1/4 Neutrik jacks have individual gain control, signal/clip LEDs and 20dB pad, with global phantom power main output Level controller is assignable to various groups of channel faders via the Control Panel independent headphone outputs with rotary encoder level controls front panel A/B selector switch with status indicator LED; can be assigned as a direct monitor on/off switch (default) or headphone source switch versatile mixer/router Control Panel provides near-zero latency hardware direct monitoring extremely low-latency hardware/drivers MIDI I/O on standard 5-pin DIN connectors word clock I/O on standard BNC connectors DE15F connector and sturdy breakout cable for word clock, MIDI, and coaxial S/PDIF Signal present LED indicators for analog I/O Valid data LEDs for optical and coaxial S/PDIF I/O, plus ADAT valid data LEDs two 6-pin FireWire ports power on/off switch with indicator LED frequency response: 192kHz: +/- 1 dB, 22Hz 80kHz; 96kHz: +/- 0.5 dB, 22Hz 40kHz; 48kHz: +/- 0.1dB, 22Hz 22kHz Max. SNR and dynamic range (A-weighted): 105dB ADC, 107dB DAC THD + N: <0.00301% (-90.5dB) analog sampling rates 44.1kHz to 192kHz for analog input 1/2 and all analog outputs (44.1kHz to 96kHz input on channels 3-8) digital sampling rates (kHz) 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 for coaxial S/PDIF in and out, 44.1 and 48 for optical S/PDIF I/O; ADAT I/O is 44.1, 48, or 88.2, 96 in S/MUX mode driver support for ASIO 2.0, MME, WDM, GSIF 2.0, Sound Manager, Core Audio and MIDI bus-powered* or powered via included DC power adapter

Rear Panel

Rear Panel Descriptions 18. Power Supply Connector Connect the 12VDC 1000mA power supply to this jack when using the FireWire 1814 with a four-pin FireWire connection. Use only the power supply provided with the unit or a power supply of an equivalent quality, with a positive center pin. 19. MIDI S/PDIF Word Clock Connector Connect the 15-pin male end of the breakout cable included with your FireWire 1814 to this DE15F female connector. This will provide you with the necessary connections for MIDI (standard 5-pin DIN connectors), coaxial S/PDIF (RCA jacks), and word clock (BNC connectors). 20. FireWire Connectors Dual FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports allow you to connect one to your computer and the other to an external device. We recommend connecting only self-powered devices to these inputs. Bus-powered devices may affect your audio performance. NOTE: The FireWire 1814 provides two 6-pin FireWire ports for your convenience. One port is used for connection to the host computer. The second port allows other peripheral devices to connect to the host through the FireWire 1814. The FireWire 1814 can receive bus-power from the host computer, but cannot supply bus-power to an additional FireWire device using the secondary FireWire port. You must use a power supply with your secondary FireWire device. 21. ADAT - S/PDIF Optical In and Out Connectors ADAT Optical or S/PDIF digital input and output are provided on optical TOSLink connectors. ADAT vs. S/PDIF operation can be controlled from the software Control Panel. 22. Line Outputs 14 These are balanced/unbalanced analog outputs on 1/4 TRS jacks with signal up to 2.0dBV unbalanced and 8.0dBV (10.2dBu) balanced line level. When two-channel stereo audio, the signal being monitored are routed outputs 1 and 2 by default; any or all analog output pairs may be selected in the FireWire 1814s Control Panel. You may also use the four outputs to send individual or grouped channels to a mixing console.
23. Line Inputs 18 These are unbalanced analog inputs on 1/4 TS jacks operating at signals up to 2.1dBV line level. Line inputs 1 and 2 are active only when the front panel Mic/Line selector switches are set to Line. 24. Kensington Lock Connector This connector is compatible with Kensington security cables to protect your device from theft.

5. 6. 7.

Just click "Search." OMS begins searching. IMPORTANT: If the FireWire cable is not correctly connected to the FireWire 1814, setup will fail. "OMS Driver Setup" shows the FireWire 1814 in a list when OMS successfully finds the driver. Click OK. OMS will now define (shows "Identifying") the FireWire 1814 output port. The "OMS MIDI Device Setup" dialog box will appear showing the FireWire 1814's available output port with an open check box to the left of the port. Click to put an X in this open box to enable the port. Click OK. Next, the "My Studio Setup" appears with a file save dialog box over it. You will now need to name and save your new Studio Setup (or use the default name) before you can assign an instrument to the FireWire 1814's MIDI port. If you choose to do so, assign your instrument, and you are done. Your FireWire 1814 is ready for use.
You can run the OMS Test Studio utility by going to the Studio menu and releasing the mouse on "Test Studio." Playing a NOTE on your keyboard will give you an audible message from your computer, "MIDI received," while the arrow pointing to the keyboard icon flashes. Clicking on a keyboard icon with the mouse pointer will send a tone cluster to the corresponding FireWire 1814 output port. The LED will light, and your sound module should play the chord. You may now exit OMS Setup by quitting the application. The rest is up to configuration within your music software. Generally, this means selecting OMS Compatibility, or Open Music System for your MIDI system setup.
Audio ATTENTION: You must shut down your computer any time you wish to connect or disconnect the FireWire 1814 from the system. Failure to do so may cause damage to your computers or FireWire 1814s FireWire ports. Connect the FireWire 1814s Line Outputs 1 and 2 to your amplifier, powered monitors or mixer. For two-channel stereo operation, the default outputs are channels 1 and 2. (You may change this in the FireWire 1814 Control Panel if you desire. You can also connect the FireWire 1814s four line outputs to a stand-alone mixer. Connect your headphones to the FireWire 1814s headphone outputs. (Use headphone output 1 if you plan to use A/B source switching for headphone cueing.) Connect a microphone (using XLR or TRS/TS connector) or instrument (using TRS/TS connector only) such as an electric guitar or bass to the Mic/Inst input channels 1 and 2. Make sure the Mic/Line switch is set to the Mic position. Connect your line level analog source such as instruments or preamps, a CD deck, or turntable preamp to the FireWire 1814s analog line inputs 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and/or 7 and 8 (inputs 1 and 2 can be used alternately as Line Inputs). Connect your ADAT Optical or S/PDIF optical capable device to the optical digital I/O.

MIDI Connect your MIDI devices MIDI Output to the FireWire 1814s MIDI Input. Connect your MIDI devices MIDI Input to the FireWire 1814s MIDI Output. Shown in the illustration below is a MIDI controller keyboard plugged into the FireWire 1814s MIDI input. A MIDI sound module is connected to the FireWire 1814s MIDI output.
This section will explain the features of the FireWire 1814s control panel. This device operates under the following three modes, based on the selected sample rate: 44.1kHz & 48kHz mode: All control panel descriptions below apply. 88.2kHz & 96kHz mode: All control panel descriptions below apply except the mixer page controls are non-functional and grayed out. However, the meters are still enabled. Also, the output page no longer maintains the aux bus. 176.4kHz & 192kHz mode: All control panel descriptions below apply except the mixer page controls are non-functional and grayed out. However, the meters are still enabled. Also, the output page no longer maintains aux bus control.
The FireWire 1814s driver software installation includes a Control Panela simple yet powerful interface with your computer and Digital Audio Workstation software. T h e Control Panel gives you a multi-channel software mixer with up to twelve virtual outputs (in stereo pairs) from your audio software, and up to sixteen input channels from the FireWire 1814s hardware inputs. Each mixer channel input pair may be routed to any of the FireWire 1814s analog outputs. In addition, two software auxiliary sends are available per stereo input pair. The FireWire 1814 Control Panel is installed in your system after you have completed the driver installation procedure. To open the Control Panel: In Windows A tiny knob icon will be placed in the system tray, generally located at the bottom of your Windows desktop. Double click this icon to open the Control Panel. On the Mac The FireWire 1814 Control Panel can be found under the Apple menu. In OS 9, go to the Apple Menu > Control Panels. In OS X, go to Apple Menu > System Preferences. In either Windows or on the Mac, the FireWire 1814 Control Panel can also be opened from an ASIO-compliant music programs audio setup page (ASIO not applicable to Mac OS X). The FireWire 1814 Control Panel gives you a great deal of control, and you may find that the default settings work just fine for your needs. Depending on how you record, you may never have to make an adjustment to these settings. Just to be safe, though, well go through the Control Panel in great detail and explain all of the user controls. NOTE: When the FireWire 1814 is first installed, it is configured for full 16 x 12 operation. As mentioned earlier, you may customize your setup according to the digital devices that you will be connecting. If an ADAT or ADAT Optical capable device is not part of your setup, and you have no plans to add one, you may want to consider switching the optical port to S/PDIF operation. This will reduce the number of channels in your mixer and output pages, as well as the number of input and output devices that will appear in your audio recording program, with the end result of simplifying your use of both the FireWire 1814 and the Control Panel. See the hardware page section for more information.

you want to have a quick conversation without losing the groove, then return to your previous listening level. Mixer Page The mixer page provides output routing and control of the FireWire 1814s analog inputs. There are up to twelve virtual channels returning from your Digital Audio Workstation software. A scroll bar is located at the bottom of the mixer page, allowing you to access any of the mixer channels as needed. NOTE: When we say up to a number of channels, we are referring to the fact that the number of channels in the mixer page (as well as the output page) may change according to your use of the optical port for ADAT or S/PDIF, including whether ADAT Optical is being used in 8-channel mode or in 4-channel mode at 88.2k or 96kHz sampling rateall of which is covered in the hardware page section. For now, we will assume that the optical port is configured for ADAT 8-channel operation, which is the default setting. The following control panel images display various configurations of inputs and outputs (ie: S/PDIF or ADAT, etc). Use the scroll bar to display all channels in the mixer page.
Mixer page (left scroll) adat rtn bus enabled
Mixer page (left scroll) spdif sw rtn enabled
Mixer page (right scroll) spdif in, adat rtn enabled
Mixer page (right scroll) adat inputs enabled @ 44.1 kHz
Mixer page display grayed out @ 88.2kHz and higher
Software Returns The mixer page provides up to twelve virtual audio returns from your audio application. These returns will appear in your audio programs output assignment and mixer settings as available audio outputs. Most likely, you will control the software output monitor levels from your audio programs mixer, and will want to keep the Control Panel mixer faders at their maximum level. However, you may find it convenient to adjust them here, if you are, for example, setting up a balance between input levels and sw rtn levels. Hardware Inputs The mixer page also provides software level control for direct monitoring of the FireWire 1814s analog and digital inputs. These pairs are labeled analog 1/2 in, analog 3/4 in, and either adat 1/2 in, adat 3/4 in (etc.), or spdif in. Please NOTE that the input channel default settings have NO Output Routings selected (see the next section for more information). Monitoring these inputs may be set up from within your music program, or you may make an Output Routing selection and then set the slider level for monitoring. See the section on Monitoring Your Inputs for Recording, below, for more information. Output Routing Software returns 1-4 may be assigned to any of the FireWire 1814s analog outputs by clicking the output button of the desired output pair. These are labeled 1/2 & 3/4. All analog output pairs may be selected (the buttons turn blue when active) for each mixer input channel pair. These channels output signals appear on the selected outputs in the Control Panel output page. If multiple mixer channels are assigned to the same output pair, the signals will be summed at the assigned output. NOTE that clipping of summed signals is possible, so keep an eye on your output level meters when summing mixer channels. Aux Send Software returns 1-4 and all inputs provide two virtual aux send controls. Using these aux sends you can create a separate sub-mix, which can be useful as a headphone mix or effects send. To use the aux sends, click on an aux knob and drag upward or downward. These aux send levels feed the Aux Send Master channel on the output page. The aux send mix can be routed to any pair of the FireWire 1814s outputs via the output page by clicking the main button on that channel, thereby switching the output channel from the main bus to the aux send bus. Stereo Linking - All input channels and analog software returns are controlled by software faders; pairs can be linked for stereo operation by clicking the channels link button. The buttons turn blue when active. Once the channels are linked, grabbing and moving one fader will move both faders in unison. Mute button - Selecting the mute button (the button turns red) will cause that channel pair to cease audio output. Deselecting the mute button will resume audio output on that channel pair. Solo button Selecting the solo button (the button turns yellow) will cause all other channels to cease audio output. Deselecting the solo button will resume audio output on all channels. Multiple solo selections are possible.

Panning - The input channel pairs also offer virtual pan pots. As with any typical mixer, the pan works in conjunction with the Output Routing assign buttons to enable you to route the signal as you wish. Ctrl button When aux send is selected under the panels right-side level controller assignment, the ctrl button will appear under the aux output master channel faders. For more information, see Level Controller Assignment in the Global Menus section, below. Metering - At the bottom of the mixer page, software level meters are provided for each of the FireWire 1814s output busses, as well as the aux bus. This is provided as a quick reference to whats occurring in the output page. Output Page The output page provides you with control over each of the FireWire 1814s analog and digital outputs, as well as control of the aux bus and two phones (headphone) buses.
Output page adat bus enabled @ 44.1kHz
Output page adat bus enabled, aux grayed out @ 88.2kHz and higher
Output page spdif out enabled
Output Channels Virtual faders control the individual channel output levels. The output faders correspond to their respective analog hardware outputs. When the main/aux button is set to main, the Output Channel gets its signal from the bus assignments selected on the mixer page. (See Main/Aux Button, below.) Balance Controls The bal control allows you to adjust the balance of the associated pairs stereo output. Linking - Stereo pairs can be linked together with the link button. Once the channel is linked (the button turns blue), grabbing and moving one fader will move both faders in unison. Main/Aux Button When the main/aux button is in the main position (the button turns blue), the associated analog or S/PDIF outputs carry their respective bus signals, as determined by the routing selected on the mixer page. When the main/aux button is in the aux position, the button turns green. The associated analog or S/PDIF output pair receives the signal routed to the aux L and aux R busses (see aux send from the mixer page above). Mute button - Selecting the mute button (the button turns red) will cause that channel pair to cease audio output. Deselecting the mute button will resume audio output on that channel pair. Solo button Selecting the solo button (the button turns yellow) will cause all other channels to cease audio output; deselecting the solo button will resume audio output on all channels. Multiple solo selections are possible. Aux Output Master Channel The aux output master channel controls the output functions of signals routed to the aux L and aux R buses. Both channel faders can be linked together with the link button. The bal control allows you to adjust the left/right balance of the stereo signal. When using the aux L and aux R sends in conjunction with the aux output master channel, you must select an output channel pair to be the aux output by setting the main/aux switch on the selected channel to the aux position. See in section 10, Adding Effects While Direct Monitoring and Using the Aux Send As a Separate Monitor Mix, later in this manual. N O T E that there are no ctrl buttons available on the phones channels, since the headphone outputs have their own dedicated level controllers. Aux Channel Balance The bal control allows you to adjust the balance of the associated pairs stereo output. Aux Channel Mute - Selecting the aux mute button (the button turns red) will cause the aux channel to cease audio output. Deselecting the mute button will resume audio output. Headphone Output Channels These channels control the functions of the FireWire 1814s two headphone busses, phones 1 and phones 2.

Using the Coaxial S/PDIF Input Connect the coaxial S/PDIF output of your external digital audio device to the FireWire 1814s rear panel coaxial (RCA) digital input. Make sure that spdif is selected as the input under the digital port selection, and that coaxial is selected for the spdif input port. Also make sure that external digital is selected as the sync source in the FireWire 1814 Control Panels page. You may alternately use word clock if your S/PDIF source has a word clock output or is locked to the same word clock master. The signal level that you receive at the S/PDIF input will be the signal level that you record. Using the Optical S/PDIF Input Connect the optical S/PDIF output of your external digital audio device to the FireWire 1814s rear panel optical (TOSLink) digital input. Since the default setting for the optical port is for ADAT Optical operation, you must also set the digital port selection to receive a S/PDIF signal. To do this: Make sure that spdif is selected under the digital port selection, and that optical is selected for the spdif input port. Also make sure that external - digital is selected as the sync source in the FireWire 1814 Control Panels hardware page. You may alternately use word clock if your S/PDIF source has a BNC word clock output. The signal level that you receive at the S/PDIF input will be the signal level that you record. In most cases, this level cannot be modified at the source. Monitoring Your Inputs For Recording The FireWire 1814 supports ASIO direct monitoring, ASIO software monitoring and WDM input monitoring, as well as CoreAudio in Mac OS X. The FireWire 1814 also supports direct hardware monitoring (44.1kHz and 48kHz only) independent of the softwares monitoring capability. ASIO Direct Monitoring Many applications that support ASIO 2.0 also support ASIO Direct Monitoring. In direct monitoring mode, the input signal is sent to the application and then directly to the FireWire 1814s outputs, without passing through the application itself. The advantage is that there is only a small amount of latency introduced. However, since the audio is bypassing the software application, you cannot add software effects or EQ plug-ins to the signal being monitored. ASIO direct monitoring, when enabled, will allow you to control the monitor levels (and muting) of the FireWire 1814s mixer inputs directly from the program. Once you have assigned an input channel in the music software to a FireWire 1814 input, the music softwares mixer will take control of the FireWire 1814 Control Panel mixers input channels. As mentioned, while the advantages to this type of monitoring are obvious (low latency), the inability to add effects can be seen as limiting. Thats why we created the aux sends in the FireWire 1814 Control Panels mixer (44.1kHz and 48kHz only). These aux sends will allow you to add external effects while direct monitoring. See the section on Adding Effects While Direct Monitoring, below, for more information.

If your audio application supports ASIO Direct Monitoring, you can enable it in your audio softwares ASIO or audio control panel or setup page. Please refer to your audio softwares documentation for additional information. Also see the section above, Direct Monitoring On/Off, for information on using the A/B momentary switch in conjunction with ASIO Direct Monitoring. ASIO Software Monitoring (not applicable to Mac OS X) Your ASIO program may only support simple software monitoring, and not ASIO Direct Monitoring, or, you may simply prefer this method of monitoring. In ASIO software monitoring, the input signals are monitored through your audio software and its mixer. Although you can now monitor your inputs with effects and EQ plug-ins, a certain amount of latency is introduced by monitoring through your software. The FireWire 1814 supports the ultra-low latency ASIO standard. However your actual latency is influenced by a number of factors including your computer hardware, processor speed and selected buffer size both in your FireWire 1814 Control Panel and your music software. If your audio application supports ASIO software monitoring (sometimes referred to as throughput monitoring), you can enable it in your audio softwares ASIO or audio control panel simply by selecting the FireWire 1814s ASIO driver for that program (providing that ASIO Direct Monitoring is switched off). Please refer to your audio softwares documentation for additional information on setting up your tracks for recording. WDM Input Monitoring If you are running a WDM-compliant application (WDM does not apply to Mac users), the FireWire 1814 supports input monitoring through your audio software. In most cases, WDM offers extremely low latency monitoring, even when using plug-in effects and EQ. If your application supports WDM and direct monitoring, you may enable it in your audio softwares configuration window. Please refer to your audio softwares documentation for additional information. Direct Monitoring In direct hardware monitoring mode (44.1kHz and 48kHz only), the input signal is sent directly to the FireWire 1814s outputs. If you are running a program that is not ASIO compliant or does not have WDM input monitoring (such as Sound Forge, or some earlier programs) this type of monitoring may be necessary. The FireWire 1814 can be set up to directly monitor the analog and S/PDIF or ADAT inputs using the FireWire 1814 Control Panel mixer. Even if your software program does have ASIO tape-type or WDM input low-latency monitoring, you may choose to direct (hardware) monitor the FireWire 1814s inputs in this fashion, and enjoy near-zero latency monitoring. NOTE: The front panel A/B Switch for Direct Monitoring comes in very handy for muting and unmuting the input signals you are monitoring. Refer to the section that follows, Using the A/B Selector Switch. As mentioned earlier, with ASIO direct monitoring, the audio software will take control over the FireWire 1814 mixers input channels. With manual direct monitoring, you must control the FireWire 1814 mixers input channels manually. Heres how:

correct active spdif input (coaxial or optical) in the Control Panels hardware page. Refer to the hardware page description above. Setting the Sample Rate In most cases, you will want to set the sample rate from within your audio software. When the sync source in the hardware page of the FireWire 1814s Control Panel is set to internal, it will receive the sample rate from your audio application. However, if you are recording a digital source via the optical or coaxial digital inputs, you will want to set the sync source accordingly. This will allow the incoming digital source to control the sample rate. This is covered in more detail in the Hardware Page section, and in Setting Up Your Record Levels. Adding Effects While Direct Monitoring The following section applies when using 44.1kHz and 48kHz sample rates (the aux send feature is not available at higher sample rates). This feature sets the FireWire 1814 apart from many other audio interfaces. Direct monitoring is a way of avoiding the latency inherent in through-the-program monitoring, especially when building up a large number of tracks (where increasing buffer size and latency may become necessary). The aux sends in the FireWire 1814 Control Panel allow you to add effects to the directly monitored signal. For this example, you must have an outboard effects unit with a S/PDIF digital input and output (fairly common on the market today). The following step-by-step instructions give you a basic setup, and then continue on to an advanced setup for adding and monitoring effects. NOTE: In this example, we would set the sync source selection in the Control Panels hardware page to internal digital inputs unmuted. The outboard effects unit will get its clock from the FireWire 1814s coaxial S/PDIF Out, and therefore will lock to the FireWire 1814s internal clock. When the effect unit returns to the S/PDIF input, the S/PDIF input should be in sync with the internal clock. 1. Connect the FireWire 1814s S/PDIF out to the S/PDIF input of your outboard effects unit. In the FireWire 1814s output page, click on the spdif out channels main/aux switch so that it displays aux. 2. Since were going to be monitoring the effect from the S/PDIF input, we must assign the spdif in channel in the FireWire 1814 mixer page to a destination. Select the output routing button 1/2 as the destination, so that the effect is mixed in with other signals being monitored. 3. Set up your FireWire 1814 to record with the analog inputs using the instructions under the Setting Up Your Record Levels section. 4. Lets assume that you are only using analog Line In 1 for recording (maybe a bass synth on channel 1). After you have set up a reasonable monitor level using the level fader on the mixer pages analog 1 in channel and panned the channel (most likely center), add some level to the aux L control. That signal is being sent to the aux output master channel, and then to the spdif out. Since were adding an effect

to a mono instrument, set the aux output master channels pan knobs to <C>, or center panned (on the output page). As you play the synth, you should start to see level appear on the aux output master channel as you add level to aux L control on the analog 1 in. You should also start to see level appearing at the input of your effects unit, and hear the effect level at the FireWire 1814s S/PDIF In. You can make adjustments to the (effect return) monitor level using the spdif in channels level faders. To demonstrate a more advanced setup, weve added an effect to the instrument that were recording and direct monitoring. Thats fine for recording, but we might want to hear that same effect when were playing backat least while the recording process is going on. Once youre done recording, you might want to disconnect the outboard effects unit, reset your FireWire 1814 Mixer, and then use the software plug-in effects from within your audio software. Heres how to hear the same effect on the synth you are recording as you hear when playing back the track and evaluating the performance. Whichever track you are recording to, set that tracks output to Line Output 3 and 4. In the FireWire 1814 mixer, set the destination on sw rtn 3/4 to output bus 1/2. Then, match the level of sw rtn 3 to the settings made earlier on the analog 1 in channel. Also, match the level of the aux L controls for both of those channels. This way, when you play back a track that youve just recorded, youll still hear the same effect. This is very useful for both the artist and the producer, and is generally better for judging the performance than having to shift your perception to listening to the recorded track played back without an effect or with a different effect (such as one provided by a software plug-in). Using the Aux Send as a Separate Monitor Mix The aux send can also be used to create an alternate monitor mix that is sent to a headphone output. Sometimes the artist wants to hear a different mix than the recording engineer, perhaps one with louder rhythm tracks or a quieter piano trackwhatever they need to inspire their performance. On the output page of the control panel, select aux on the phones 2 channel. Then, on the aux channel, set the balance to c (center), and bring both faders to zero. Open the mixer page. Above each input and return are aux level controls for left and right. Use the left aux send knob to send these sources to the left side of the headphones. Use the right aux send knob to send these sources to the right side of the headphones. If you wish to hear to source in stereo, adjust both knobs accordingly. These levels are used to set the alternate monitor mix. Be sure to plug headphones into the phones 2 input on the front panel, and adjust the phones 2 volume level to taste. In standard use, phones 1 is used to monitor the main mix. However, phones 1 can be used the same way as described above.

altered), open your FireWire 1814 Control Panel and click the hardware tab. Clicking the direct monitoring radio button will change the momentary switch from a Headphone Source Selector to a Direct Monitoring On/Off switch. Now, the momentary switch will mute or unmute your FireWire 1814s input channels. This is useful when you want to manually control the monitoring of your hardware inputs. For this to work, you must have your inputs set up for direct monitoring (see section, Monitoring Your Inputs for Recording), either manually or through ASIO Direct Monitoring. Once you have done this, your A/B Switch will then turn Direct Monitoring off when it is in the A position (all input channels will be muted), and turn Direct Monitoring on when it is in the B position (all input channels will be unmuted). If you have ASIO Direct Monitoring switched on (your music program must be capable of ASIO Direct Monitoring), you can still use the A/B selector for manually turning Direct Monitoring on and off. ASIO Direct Monitoring, however, will take control of muting or unmuting your FireWire 1814 inputs when you set up a track for recording, and use the music programs transport controls to stop, play, and punch-in or record. The A/B switchs corresponding LED, in this case, becomes a handy indicator of your record/monitor status. When ASIO Direct Monitoring is in use, you will be able to hear your FireWire 1814 inputs when the programs transport is in stop mode (the A/B LED will light, and your inputs will be unmuted). When the program is in play mode, you will hear the recorded tracks but not the FireWire 1814 inputs (the A/B LED will not be lit, and your inputs will be muted), and when the program is punched in to record mode, you will again hear the FireWire 1814 inputs (the A/B LED will again light, and your inputs will be unmuted). This is a highly accepted way of recording, and perhaps the most desirable. The FireWire 1814s Direct Monitoring On/Off switching makes it very convenient to use this method of recording, with the ability to manually turn it on or off when it is convenient to do so. Monitoring From Your DJ Program The FireWire 1814 is a perfect companion for laptop-based DJing and live performance. Using the A/B Switch as a Headphone Source Selector allows you to A/B, or monitor multiple sources, keeping them muted from the line outputs while you cue them for playback. A DJ program will allow you to send one audio stream to the main outputs 1/2 that are connected to your sound system, and cue another audio stream directed to outputs 3/4. You may use the A/B Switch in Headphone Source Selector mode to conveniently toggle between those two audio sources (1/2 and 3/4 are the default selections), allowing you to discreetly cue the program material on 3/4 while the main outputs 1/2 continue to play audio to your sound system. NOTE: The Headphone Source Selector mode only applies to Headphone Out 1, and not to Headphone Out 2. Headphone Out 2 will always receive the source that is selected in the output page of the Control Panel. To configure the A/B Switch to function as a Headphone Source Selector, go to the hardware page of the Control Panel, and within the a/b switch settings field, select headphone out 1 a/b option. The default Control Panel A/B settings are already set up to toggle between out 1/2 and out 3/4. For further clarification, please read the below description.

11 Troubleshooting

The FireWire 1814 has been designed to give you high performance and professional quality audio. It has been tested under a wide range of systems and operating conditions. However, there are a virtually limitless number of operating scenarios, any of which could affect your systems performance. Though this section cannot cover all possible issues you may encounter, we would like to offer you some suggestions for dealing with common problems. We recommend that you avoid connecting too many devices. The FireWire bus is a dependable, high-speed, high-bandwidth protocol that is ideally suited for digital audio. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that audio and multimedia streaming places considerable demands on your processor and the FireWire bus. Although it is theoretically possible to chain many multiple FireWire devices in series, doing so has the potential to degrade your audio performance. Generally, FireWire devices do not suffer from the IRQ conflicts often encountered with PCI cards on Windows PCs. If you are having trouble getting audio in or out of your FireWire 1814, please check the following: If you have no sound: Check to see if the FireWire 1814 drivers are properly installed. In Windows XP, go to the Control Panel and double-click the System icon (under Performance and Maintenance if you are in Category view). Select the Hardware tab and click the Device Manager button. Click the plus sign (+) next to Sound, Video and Game Controllers, and locate the FireWire 1814 listing. If you see a question mark or exclamation point next to it, or if you dont see it listed, you may need to reinstall the driver software. Make sure your audio software has been set up to use the FireWire 1814. Open your applications audio settings page and check to see if the FireWire 1814s ASIO, WDM, or CoreAudio drivers have been selected. If youre certain the FireWire 1814 is correctly installed and configured for your audio software, check your signal path. Make sure your inputs are routed correctly by verifying that your application is receiving audio signal. Make sure your outputs are routed correctly so that your signal is sent to your headphones, amp and/or monitors. Check your audio connections and cables to make sure everything is plugged in correctly. Check if the power button is enabled. Check mic/line selector switch to verify that youve chosen the proper input. If youre trying to record a digital input to the FireWire 1814 and have no sound: Make sure your audio software is configured to receive digital input, and that the input source is set as clock master. If youre experiencing clicks and pops in your recordings: Make sure your input levels are not too hot, as this can cause distortion and clipping. Check the input level meters in your audio application. If you are recording a digital input source, make sure the FireWire 1814s sync source, as well as the sync source in your audio software, are set to external.

You might want to try using a larger buffer size. Larger buffer sizes can increase input latency time, but if youre mixing, for example, this is not an issue. Increasing the buffer size can be helpful, particularly in the case of older or lower-powered systems. If you have daisy-chained other FireWire devices, try using the FireWire 1814 without them to see if this works better. The noise might be due to a low power situation on the bus or a bus-master conflict.

12 Contact Us

M-AUDIO U.S. 5795 Martin Road Irwindale, CA 91706-6211 U.S.A. Sales Information: Sales Information (email): Tech Support: Tech Support (email): Fax: Internet Home Page: 626-633-9050 info@m-audio.com 626-633-9055 techsupt@m-audio.com 626-633-9060 http://www.m-audio.com
M-AUDIO U.K. Unit 5, Saracen Industrial Estate, Mark Rd. Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7BJ, England Sales Information: Sales Information (fax): Sales Information (email): Technical Support (PC): Technical Support (Mac): Technical Support (email): Internet Home Page: 44 (0) 44 (0) info@maudio.co.uk 44 (0) 44 (0) richard@maudio.freeserve.co.uk http://www.maudio.co.uk
M-AUDIO France Unit 5, Saracen Industrial Estate, Mark Rd. Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7BJ, England Sales Information: Sales Information (email): Technical Support: Technical Support (email): Fax: Internet Home Page: 105 info@m-audio-france.com 731 support@m-audio-france.com 44 (0) 6832 http://www.maudio.co.uk
M-AUDIO Deutschland (Germany) Kuhallmand 34, D-74613, Ohringen, Germany Sales Information: Sales Information (email): Technical Support: Technical Support (email): Fax: Internet Home Page: info@m-audio.de support@m-audio.de 70070 http://www.m-audio.de
M-AUDIO Canada 1400 St-Jean Baptiste Ave., #150 Quebec City, QC G2E 5B7, Canada Tel: Fax: Email: Internet Home Page: 418-872-0444 418-872-0034 midimancanada@m-audio.com http://www.m-audio.ca
M-AUDIO Japan Annex Buliding 6F, 2-18-10 Marunouchi Naka-Ku, Nagoya 460-0002, Japan Tel: Fax: Technical Support: Email: 731 info@m-audio.co.jp

13 Product Specs

All audio spec measured at 48kHz sample rate, unless otherwise stated: Line Inputs 1-8 (TS): Frequency Response Dynamic Range Signal-to-Noise Ratio THD+N Crosstalk Nominal Input Level Maximum Input level Input Impedance +/- 0.1dB, 22Hz to 22kHz 105dB, A-weighted -105dB, A-weighted <0.00281% (-91dB) -107dB @ 1kHz -10dBV +2.1dBV, typical 10K Ohms, typical

FireWire 1814

Quick Start Guide
M-Audio FireWire 1814 Quick Start Guide
Thank you for choosing the M-Audio FireWire 1814, the professional, portable audio and MIDI interface for your laptop or desktop computer. Using the convenience and dependability of the IEEE 1394 (FireWire) bus, the FireWire 1814 provides your computer with a high-performance, high-resolution 18x14 multi-channel audio interface, as well as sixteen channels of MIDI in and out, in a rugged, lightweight, and highly portable design. Its extremely high-capacity I/O and advanced front-panel monitoring capabilities make it the ideal companion to your laptop-based mobile recording or performance setup. This Quick Start Guide is designed to give you a basic overview of the FireWire 1814 in order to get you up and running quickly. Even if youre an experienced computer user and sound recordist, we suggest you take the time to read the accompanying Users Manual. It will familiarize you with the units more advanced features and help you to get the most out of your FireWire 1814. You will find the device manual on the included Driver CD. Open the Manuals folder, locate the folder for your native language, and then open the FireWire 1814 manual. The manual is in pdf format, and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Installing the FireWire 1814
Note: Do NOT connect the FireWire 1814 to your computer until you have run the installer program. Begin by inserting the Driver CD-ROM into your computer. Browse to the FireWire 1814 folder, and double-click the installer file (on the Mac, there will be an installer file folder for your particular operating systemOS X or OS 9). Run the installer application and follow the onscreen instructions. Windows users dont need to worry about the Windows Logo Testing messages since our drivers are tested to be of the highest quality (see manual for details). The necessary system files will be copied to your computers hard drive. Once youve completed the installation, you will be prompted to shut down your computer. After you have powered off your system, connect the FireWire 1814 to your computers FireWire port and power it on. When you reboot your system, it will recognize the new device and complete the driver installation. Your FireWire 1814 is then ready to use. For more detailed information on installing the FireWire 1814 under your particular operating system, please refer to your Users Manual.
Connnecting the FireWire 18|14
Connect the FireWire 1814s Line Outputs 1 and 2 to your amplifier, powered monitors, or mixer. For two-channel stereo operation, the default outputs are channels 1 and 2. (You may change this in the FireWire 1814 Control Panel if you desire.) You can also connect the FireWire 1814s four line outputs to a stand-alone mixer. Connect your headphones to the FireWire 1814s headphone outputs. Connect microphones or instruments (such as an electric guitar or bass guitar) to the Mic/Inst preamp input channels 1 and 2. Make sure the Mic/Line switch is set to the Mic (button out) position to use the front panel inputs. Connect your line level analog sources, instruments, or preamp outputs, such as a CD deck or turntable preamp, to the FireWire 1814s analog Line Inputs 3 & 4, 5 & 6, and 7 & 8. Connect your ADAT (or ADAT Optical Capable) or optical S/PDIF device to the optical digital I/O. Connect your coaxial S/PDIF digital devices to the FireWire 1814s coaxial digital I/O.
Connect your MIDI devices MIDI output to the FireWire 1814s MIDI input. Connect your MIDI devices MIDI input to the FireWire 1814s MIDI output. A typical setup would be a MIDI controller keyboard plugged into the FireWire 1814s MIDI input. A MIDI sound module or other sound generating device (such as a drum machine) may be connected to the FireWire 1814s MIDI output.
Using The Control Paneling the Control Panel
The control panel gives you a powerful multi-channel software mixer with up to fourteen virtual outputs (in stereo pairs) from your audio software. Each output pair may be routed to any of the FireWire 1814s analog or digital outputs. In addition, two mono software auxiliary sends are available per stereo pair. The control panel also gives you access to assigning functions to the physical level controller knob and A/B switch, selecting the buffer size and master clock, and numerous other important features. For complete information on fully utilizing all of the FireWire 1814 Control Panels features, please refer to the Users Manual.