M-Audio FireWire Audiophile - Users Manual
1 Introduction 2 Whats in the Box 3 About the FireWire Audiophile 4 Features and Technical Features 5 Minimum System Requirements

Windows Mac OS

6 Controls and Connectors
Front Panel Diagram Front Panel Descriptions Rear Panel Diagram Rear Panel Descriptions
7 Hardware Driver Installation
Windows XP Windows 2000 Mac OS X Mac OS 9

8 Hardware Connections

Audio MIDI
9 The Software Control Panel
Global Menus Mixer Page Output Page Hardware Page About Page
10 Using the FireWire Audiophile
Monitoring Live Playback Using the Headphone Source Selector Setting Up Your Recording Levels Monitoring Your Inputs for Recording General Recording Instructions Setting the Sample Rate Adding Effects While Direct Monitoring Using the Aux Send as a Separate Monitor Mix Using the Level Controller Assignments
11 Troubleshooting 12 Contact Us 13 Product Specs 14 Warranty

1 Introduction

Thank you for choosing the M-Audio FireWire Audiophile. The FireWire Audiophile has been designed to give you a 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 Audiophile provides your computer with a highperformance, high-resolution multi-channel interface, as well as sixteen channels of MIDI in and out--all in a rugged, lightweight, and highly portable design. The FireWire Audiophile was created with the laptop-based DJ or live performer in mind, while still being the perfect audio upgrade for recording and playing back audio in any portable or home studio configuration. Its front-panel headphone output boasts a high efficiency, low distortion amplifier that delivers the power and volume you need on stage, multiple headphone sources with selectable muting of the line outputs for quick cueing, and a dedicated level control to help you stay on top of your mix, no matter whats going on around you. Even if youre an experienced sound record-ist, please take some time to read through this owners manual and familiarize yourself with the FireWire Audiophiles features and operation. You may also want to refer to your audio softwares documentation to better understand how the FireWire Audiophiles features are integrated with the program. Your experience and enjoyment of your FireWire Audiophile will be greatly enhanced by a good working knowledge of your audio software.

2 Whats in the Box

Your FireWire Audiophile package contains the following: FireWire Audiophile Mobile Recording Interface CD-ROM containing driver software and user manual in PDF form Printed Quick Start Guide CD-ROM containing Reason Adapted software CD-ROM containing Delta Live 2.0 software Pro-Sessions Sampler CD-ROM 1 meter 6-pin to 6-pin IEEE 1394 (FireWire) cable 1 meter 4-pin to 6-pin IEEE 1394 (FireWire) cable 12VDC 1A Power Supply Warranty Card
3 About the FireWire Audiophile
The FireWire Audiophile functions as a four-input, six-output recording and playback interface. A single IEEE 1394 cable connects the FireWire Audiophile to your computers FireWire port. If your PC is not equipped with a native FireWire port, you may purchase a FireWire PCI card at any computer electronics retailer (The FireWire Audiophile should only be used with native FireWire ports on Macs). IMPORTANT: The FireWire Audiophile comes with a high quality six-pin to six-pin FireWire cable. We strongly suggest you use this cable, or one of equal quality, for optimum audio performance. If your computer is equipped with a four-pin interface, you will need to obtain a four-pin to six-pin FireWire cable, available at most computer electronics retailers. Also note that the FireWire Audiophile requires a six-pin FireWire connection in order to receive bus power; if you have a four-pin connection you will need to use the supplied power adapter. (Note: Some computer manufacturers may use a different nomenclature to refer to their
FireWire connections, such as Sonys iLink, or simply 1394 when in doubt, consult your owners manual.) IMPORTANT: It has come to our attention that problems have been reported with several types of IEEE1394 (FireWire) devices, including M-Audio FireWire devices. These problems occur when using a 6-pin bus-powered connection when plugging and unplugging external FireWire devices, when both the computer and external device are powered on. This is commonly referred to as hotplugging. In some cases the FireWire port on the host computer system is rendered permanently inoperable. In other cases the external FireWire device is rendered permanently inoperable. M-Audio does not want users of M-Audio FireWire products to experience such costly problems. Therefore, MAudio must require that users of M-Audio FireWire devices refrain from hotplugging any M-Audio FireWire device. You must make your FireWire connection while both computer and FireWire device are powered off; then power on.In case your

M-Audio FireWire device was not detected by your computer on startup, try the following troubleshooting options instead of hotplugging it: 1. Turn your M-Audio FireWire device off, wait 30 seconds then power it on. 2. Put your computer into hibernation mode, wait 30 seconds then reactivate it. 3. Restart the computer (dont turn it off) while the M-Audio FireWire device remains connected and powered on. The FireWire Audiophile is equipped with two analog inputs and four analog outputs on unbalanced RCA connectors. Two more channels of S/PDIF digital input and output are provided on coaxial connectors. That makes the FireWire Audiophile a four-input, sixoutput audio interface capable of high-quality analog and digital I/O in full 24-bit resolution, at sampling rates up to 96kHz for recording and playback. Its S/PDIF digital output supports pass-through of AC-3 and DTS encoded multi-channel digital audio, (Windows and Mac OS X only), and it also gives you sixteen channels of MIDI I/O. The FireWire Audiophiles easy-to-use software control panel provides you with powerful routing and mixing control, creating a virtual six-channel output matrix for your audio software. You can route any combination of inputs to any outputs, and each mixer channel supports a virtual aux send for unprecedented flexibility. You can take advantage of ultra-low latency software monitoring with built-in ASIO drivers, and near zero-latency direct hardware monitoring. The front panel headphone Source selector is designed to give you immediate access to selectable stereo monitor sources, with a dedicated rotary level control. The main front panel rotary encoder can be assigned via the control panel to control any addressable software or hardware levels, and the FireWire Audiophile can be powered via the FireWire bus for total portability.*
* Six-pin FireWire connection only. Use the DC power adapter for four-pin FireWire operation.
4 Features and Technical Features
2 x 4 unbalanced analog operation on RCA jacks Coaxial S/PDIF I/O Rotary encoder is assignable to control any software-addressable level, e.g., output DACs, software returns, or hardware input monitor levels Headphone output with rotary encoder level control Front panel headphone source switching; can be assigned as a Direct Monitoring on/off switch Status indicator LEDs show Headphone Source or ASIO Direct Monitoring state, as selected in the control panel Versatile mixer/router control panel provides near zero-latency hardware direct monitoring Extremely low-latency hardware/drivers MIDI I/O S/PDIF activity indicator LEDs for input and output. Two 6-pin FireWire ports. Power on/off switch with indicator LED Bus-powered or powered via included power supply Frequency response: 20-40KHz +/- 1dB SNR and dynamic range (A-weighted): 102dB ADC, 106dB DAC THD + N: 0.00281% @0dBFS (= -91dB) Sampling rates 32k to 96kHz for analog in and out Sampling rates 44.1k, 48k, 88.2k, and 96kHz for S/PDIF in and out

5 Minimum System Requirements
IMPORTANT: The FireWire Audiophile is supported under Windows XP and Windows 2000 it is not supported under Windows 98 or Windows ME. Also, when running under Windows 2000, you must be running Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later. For Windows XP, you must be running Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later. Visit the Windows update web pages to make certain you have the most current updates and fixes supplied by Microsoft. On the Mac, the FireWire Audiophile is supported under Mac OS 9.2.2 or later, and Mac OSX version 10.1.5; 10.2.6 or later. Earlier versions of Mac operating systems are not supported.

Windows

Pentium MHz or higher 128 MB RAM DirectX 8.1 or higher Windows XP (SP1) or Windows 2000 (SP3) (Windows 98 or Windows ME not supported)

Mac OS

Macintosh G3* 500 MHz or higher w/ OS 9.2.2 or greater G4* 500 MHz w/ OS X 10.1.5; 10.2.6 or greater (higher requirements for Laptops) 128 MB RAM (OS 9), 256 MB RAM (OSX) OS 9.2.2 or later, or OS 10.1.5 or later
G3/G4 accelerator cards not supported; native FireWire ports required

Front Panel Diagram

Front Panel Descriptions
Headphone Output Accepts a standard 1/4 stereo TRS headphone connector. Headphone Output Level Controls the output of the headphone level. This control is independent of the line and S/PDIF output levels. HP Source Monitor Status These LED indicators display the currently selected mode of the headphone source switch, either A or B. Headphone Source Selector This momentary switch selects the monitor source sent to the headphone outputs, in conjunction with the HP Source settings on the Hardware page of the Control Panel. The default setting is Out 1/2 = A, Out 3/4 = B. This switch can also be programmed to turn Direct Monitoring on and off. S/PDIF Input and Output Indicators The green S/PDIF In LED will glow steadily to indicate the presence of a valid S/PDIF signal at the S/PDIF input. The green S/PDIF Out LED will glow steadily to indicate the presence of a valid S/PDIF signal at the S/PDIF output. Level Controller The Level Controller is a rotary encoder that is set by default to control the output monitor level of the FireWire Audiophiles analog outputs. It can be assigned to any group of Mixer or Output faders in the FireWire Audiophiles software control panel. The available selections are: SW return The levels of the three virtual stereo pairs returning from your computers audio workstation software to the FireWire Audiophiles software mixer Output The levels of the FireWire Audiophiles four analog and one stereo digital output Input The levels of the FireWire Audiophiles 1&2 analog and L/R digital inputs Aux Send The levels of the L and R virtual Aux Send buses. Power LED The Blue Power LED blinks when power is applied to the FireWire Audiophile, and glows steadily to indicate a valid connection to the host computer.

Verify that you have no other programs running, and then click Next to begin the installation. The installer will copy the necessary files to your computers hard drive.
During the installation, you will be prompted with a message warning that the driver software has not passed Windows Logo testing. Select Continue Anyway and proceed with the installation.
The installer will prompt you to enable DVD/CD performance enhancement settings. In most cases, you should leave these in their default (selected) settings. While Windows is most likely already configured in this way, these
settings will ensure that you will be able to hear your DVD/CD players playback through the FireWire Audiophile. Click Next.
Once the installation is complete. Click Next to proceed.
Once the installer has finished copying the files, you will see the Installation Complete screen. You will then be prompted to shut down your computer. Click Finish to proceed.
After the computer has powered off, connect the FireWire Audiophile to your computers FireWire port and power it on. Once the FireWire Audiophile is connected, turn on your computer. After the operating system loads, the Found New Hardware Wizard will open. Choose the default selection, Install the software automatically. Click Next. Windows will locate and install the FireWire Audiophile Bootloader files.
Once the Bootloader installation is complete, click Finish to proceed. Windows will locate the FireWire Audiophile driver files.
10 The New Hardware Wizard will run a second time to install the FireWire Audiophile driver software. Choose the default selection, Install the software automatically. Click Next.
11 You will again be prompted by the Windows Logo testing notice. Again, click Continue Anyway and proceed with the installation.
12 When you see the M-Audio FireWire Audiophile Installed Successfully screen, click Finish to complete the installation. Your FireWire Audiophile is now ready to use.
13 You will see the M-Audio FireWire Audiophile control panel icon in your system tray (lower right corner of your desktop). Click on the icon to open the control panel.

Windows 2000

NOTE: Do NOT connect the FireWire Audiophile to your computer before you have run the installer application and shut down your computer. If you are going to use bus power, we recommend that you connect the FireWire cable before turning on the power button. For the FireWire Audiophile to function properly, you need to have Service Pack 4 installed as well as Direct X 8.1 or higher. To install Service Pack 4, please consult http://www.microsoft.com for instructions. The FireWire Audiophile driver installer will detect if you have the proper version of Direct X installed or not. If you need to upgrade, you will be prompted to do so. For further information, please consult Microsofts website. During the course of installation, messages about the Microsoft Digital Signature for the driver will appear. Microsoft tests drivers to ensure they work properly with their operating systems. While driver signing makes installation and operation more streamlined, it is not a necessity for a device to function properly with the operating system. Currently, M-Audios FireWire drivers are not digitally signed. However, M-Audio is committed to providing the best possible drivers for our products and we constantly evaluate and test our drivers to ensure that they work properly. As a result, there is no need to worry about the driver not being signed. 1 Insert the Driver CD-ROM into your computers CD-ROM drive. From the Start menu, select Run, then click the Browse button. Browse to the CD-ROM drive, locate the FireWire AP folder, Then double click the FireWire Audiophile installer from within that folder.

Double click on the FireWire Audiophile icon. The file M-Audio FireWire Audiophile Installer.mpkg will appear. Double click on the installer file.
The introduction screen will now appear. Click Continue to proceed.
The next screen is the release notes. There are buttons to print or save at this point. When you are done reading them, click Continue to proceed.
The next screen displays the software license agreement. There are buttons to print or save this agreement. When you are done reading the agreement, click Continue to proceed. Once you click Continue, a notice will appear asking you to agree or Disagree. If you agree, then installation will proceed. If you choose to disagree, the installation will not proceed.
Select your OS X hard drive. Click "Continue."
The next screen provides you with options for installing the Firewire Audiophile driver. It is recommended to use the easy installation. To do so click Install. If you wish to customize your installation, click on the Customize button.
Enter your administrator name and password, and click OK to continue.
10 A notice will appear advising that the computer will need to be restarted. Click Continue Installation to proceed.
11 When the installation is complete, click Shut Down to complete the wizard. After the computer has powered off, plug the FireWire Audiophile into your computers FireWire Port and power it on. Once the FireWire Audiophile is connected, turn on your computer. 12 Once the operating system loads, go to "System Preferences" in the Apple Menu. Select the "Sound" preference panel, and click the "Output" tab. Select "M-Audio FireWire Audiophile" to choose the FireWire Audiophile as your default output device.
Mac OS9 NOTE: Never connect or disconnect the FireWire Audiophile while the computer is on. Also, if youre going to use bus power, we recommend that you connect the FireWire cable before turning on the FireWire Audiophiles power button. To use MIDI on the FireWire Audiophile, you must first install Opcodes OMS before installing the FireWire Audiophile driver software. OMS can be installed from the Driver CD by opening the OMS 2.3.8 folder, and then double clicking the OMS installation icon. After you have installed OMS, follow these instructions to install the FireWire Audiophile driver software. 1 Insert the Driver CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive and open the CD-ROM to view its contents. Locate and open the FireWire AP folder, then open the folder for OS 9.

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 Audiophile 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.
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 Audiophiles 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 Audiophile control panel if you desire.) You can also connect the FireWire Audiophiles four line outputs to a stand-alone mixer. Connect your headphones to the FireWire Audiophiles headphone outputs. Connect your CD deck, turntable preamp or other line level analog source to the FireWire Audiophiles analog line inputs 1 and 2. Connect your S/PDIF digital devices to the FireWire Audiophiles coaxial digital I/O.
Connect your MIDI devices MIDI Input to the FireWire Audiophiles MIDI Output. Connect your MIDI devices MIDI Output to the FireWire Audiophiles MIDI Input. Shown in the illustration below is a MIDI controller keyboard plugged into the FireWire Audiophiles MIDI input. A MIDI sound module is connected to the FireWire Audiophiles MIDI output.
The FireWire Audiophiles driver software installation includes a mixer/control panela simple yet powerful interface with your computer and Digital Audio Workstation software. The control panel gives you a multi-channel software mixer with six virtual outputs (in three stereo pairs) from your audio software. Each output pair may be routed to any of the FireWire Audiophiles four analog or stereo digital outputs. In addition, two software auxiliary sends are available per stereo pair. The FireWire Audiophile control panel is installed in your system after you have completed the driver installation procedure. To open the control panel: In Windows A tiny M, which is the M-Audio logo, will by 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 Audiophile control panel can be found under the Apple menu. NOTE: The FireWire Audiophile control panel can also be opened from an ASIO compliant music programs audio setup page. While the FireWire Audiophile control panel gives you a great deal of control, 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.

Mixer Page

The mixer page provides output routing and control of the FireWire Audiophiles analog and digital inputs, as well as the six virtual channels returning from your Digital Audio Workstation software.
Software Returns The mixer page provides access to six virtual audio returns from your audio application. These returns are available in stereo pairs, and are labeled 1/2 sw rtn; 3/4 sw rtn; and spdif sw rtn. These returns will appear in the programs output mixer settings as available audio outputs. Most likely, you will control the output monitor levels from your audio programs mixer, and will want to keep these 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 Audiophiles analog and S/PDIF digital inputs. These pairs are labeled analog in and spdif in. It may be important to 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 Each stereo pair may be assigned to any of the FireWire Audiophiles analog or digital outputs by clicking on the output button of the desired output pair. These are labeled 1/2; 3/4; and spd (which represents S/PDIF). Any or all output pairs may be selected (the buttons turns 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 Each of these stereo pairs also provides 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 a send 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 Audiophiles 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 bus. Stereo Linking - Input levels from each virtual software return 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 analog and digital input channel pairs also offer virtual pan pots. As with any typical mixer, the Pan works in conjunction with the output assign buttons to enable you to route the signal as you wish. Metering - At the bottom of the mixer page, software level meters are provided for each of the FireWire Audiophiles three output buses, as well as the aux bus. This is provided as a quick reference to whats going on in the Output page.

About Page

This page contains information on your hardware and current driver software versions. This information may be helpful if you ever have the occasion to call for technical support. Clicking the M-AUDIO logo in the lower left hand corner will link you directly to our website if you are currently online.
Firmware Info This field displays the current firmware version of your FireWire Audiophile. Update By clicking this box, you will be connected with the M-Audio website to check for driver and firmware updates.
The following sections address a number of real-life situations that you may encounter while using your FireWire Audiophile. These brief tutorials should help guide you. Also check the M-Audio website from time to time for additional tutorials or FAQs.

Monitoring Live Playback

The FireWire Audiophile is a perfect companion for laptop-based DJ and live performance. The selective headphone source allows you to monitor multiple sources, keeping them muted from the line outputs while you cue them for playback. For example, you can connect a turntable preamps outputs to Line Inputs 1 and 2, or a CD players S/PDIF output to the S/PDIF input, and route them to different FireWire Audiophile outputs via your audio software. By selecting the appropriate settings in the Control Panel, you can use the front panel HP Source selector to monitor either input in the headphones while playing back audio from your computer. See the section below, Using the Headphone Source Selector.
Using the Headphone Source Selector
The front panel Headphone Source Selector switch allows you to monitor multiple sources, keeping them muted from the line outputs while you cue them for playback. This makes the FireWire Audiophile a perfect companion for laptop-based DJ and live performance.
The Headphone Source Selector can be assigned to an alternate function from your control panels Hardware page. Clicking the Direct Monitoring radio button will change the momentary switch from a Headphone Source Selector to a Direct Monitoring on/off switch. Different scenarios for using the Headphone Source Selector for monitoring multiple sources and for turning Direct Monitoring on and off are described in the sections that follow. Monitoring From Your DJ Program A DJ program will allow you to send one audio stream to your 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 Headphone Source Selector switch to conveniently toggle between those two audio sources (1/2 and 3/4), 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. The default control panel settings, i.e., your control panel setup at the time that you first install the driver software or the settings when you hit the reset button, are already set up to do this. Just to be clear, well describe those settings here. 1 In the Mixer page, sw rtn 1/2 is routed to output 1/2. This means that the tracks in your DJ program that are set to the FireWire Audiophile Analog Outs 1/2 will be heard from Line Outputs 1/2. Your main speakers are connected to Line Outputs 1/2. With the Headphone Source switch set to A, you will also be monitoring the tracks in your DJ program that are set to the FireWire Audiophile Analog Outs 1/2. NOTE: If you look at your control panels hardware page, youll see that the headphone source selector is set up as out 1/2 for the A selection, and out 3/4 for the B selection. When you want to cue up other material from your DJ program, set those tracks to play out of FireWire Audiophile Analog Outs 3/4. Press the Headphone Source Selector momentary switch to set the source to B. The LED indicator will light for the B selection. You will now be able to hear the tracks that you are cueing only from the headphonesnot the main outputs. When you are done cueing, you may set the Headphone Source Selector back to the A selection by pressing the momentary switch again.

Monitoring With An Advanced DJ Setup -- Your setup would be considered advanced if you were using Line Outputs 1/2 for your main speakers (playing to a room of people dancing), and wanted to use Line Outputs 3/4 for a booth monitor system. You could still use the Headphone Source Selector to cue up program material that you did not want to be heard from either the main speakers or the booth monitors. In the Mixer page, route sw rtn 1/2 to output 1/2 by clicking the 1/2 button for that channel. Connect Line Outputs 1/2 to your main speakers or sound system. Route sw rtn 1/2 to output 3/4 also, by clicking the 3/4 button for the sw rtn 1/2 channel. That way, your main outputs will also play out of your booth monitors connected to Line Outputs 3/4.
Also in the Mixer page, route sw rtn 3/4 to output S/PDIF by clicking the spd button for the sw rtn 3/4 channel. We assume here that youre not using the S/PDIF output for any other purpose. When you want to cue up other material from your DJ program, set those tracks to play out of FireWire Audiophile Analog Outs 3/4. Those tracks will show up in the FireWire Audiophiles mixer page under sw rtn 3/4 (which, as you know, is now routed to spd). In your control panels hardware page, youll see that the headphone source selector is set up as out 1/2 for the A selection, and out 3/4 for the B selection. Change the B selection to spdif. With the Headphone Source switch set to A, you will be monitoring the tracks set to FireWire Audiophile Analog Outs 1/2, in your DJ program. When you switch to the B selection, you will be monitoring the tracks set to the FireWire Audiophile Analog Outs 3/4. This is because: a) The tracks you are cueing in your DJ program are set to FireWire Audiophile Analog Outs 3/4. These show up in the FireWire Audiophiles Mixer as sw rtn 3/4, b) In the FireWire Audiophiles Mixer, sw rtn 3/4 is routed to spd (which is short for S/PDIF) and c) The Headphone Source Select B selection is set to spdif.
Monitoring Live Playback -- You can, for example, connect a turntable preamps outputs to Line Inputs 1 and 2, or a CD players S/PDIF output to the S/PDIF input, and route them to different outputs via your audio software. By selecting the appropriate settings in the Control Panel, you can use the front panel HP Source Selector to monitor either input in the headphones while playing back audio from your computer. The following instructions will guide you through this setup. 1 If you look at your control panels hardware page, youll see that the headphone source selector is set up as out 1/2 for the A selection, and out 3/4 for the B selection. If theyre not, then set them for this configuration. In the mixer page, route analog in 1/2 to Output 1/2 by clicking the 1/2 button for the analog in 1/2 channel. Also in the mixer page, route the spdif in to Output 3/4 by clicking the 3/4 button for the spdif in channel. Connect headphones to the FireWire Audiophiles Headphone Out. With the Headphone Source switch set to A, you will be monitoring Line Input 1/2. When you switch to the B selection, you will be monitoring the spdif input. You most likely will want to connect Line Output 1/2 and Line Output 3/4 of the FireWire Audiophile to a DJ battle mixer. This would allow you to toggle between the turntable and the CD player, and alternately play tracks from your computer that are set to play out of the FireWire Audiophiles Line Output 1/2 and Line Output 3/4.

Using the S/PDIF Input Connect the S/PDIF digital output of your external audio device to the FireWire Audiophiles rear panel digital input. Make sure that external is selected as the sync source in the FireWire Audiophile control panels hardware page. 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 Audiophile supports ASIO direct monitoring, ASIO tape-type monitoring and WDM/MME input monitoring. The FireWire Audiophile also supports direct monitoring independent of the softwares monitoring capability. ASIO Direct Monitoring Many applications that support ASIO 2.0 also support ASIO Direct Monitoring. In ASIO direct monitoring mode, your audio application sends the input signal directly back to the FireWire Audiophiles outputs, without passing through the application itself. The advantage is that there is no latency from passing through your audio software. However, since the audio is bypassing the software, you cannot add software effects or EQ plugins to the signal being monitored. ASIO direct monitoring, when enabled, will allow you to control the monitor levels of the FireWire Audiophiles inputs directly from the program. Once you have assigned an input channel in the music softwares mixer to a FireWire Audiophile input, the music softwares mixer will take control of the FireWire Audiophile control panel mixers input channels. As mentioned, while the advantages to this type of monitoring are obvious (no latency), the inability to add effects can be seen as a drawback. Thats why we created the aux sends in the FireWire Audiophile control panels Mixer. These aux sends will allow you to add 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 DAWs ASIO or audio control panel. Make sure that ASIO Direct Monitoring is enabled from within your audio software by going into the programs audio setup page and enabling it. 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 Your ASIO program may only support simple software monitoring, and not ASIO Direct Monitoring. In this case, the input signals are monitored through your audio softwares mixer. Although you can now monitor your inputs with effects and EQ plug-ins, a small amount of latency is introduced by monitoring through your software. The FireWire Audiophile supports the ultra-low latency ASIO 2.0 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 Audiophile control panel and your music software.

This way, when you play back a track that youve just recorded, youll hear it in exactly the same way as you did while recording. 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 track without an effect or with a different effect (such as one provided by a software plug-in). NOTE: If your effects unit does not have a S/PDIF input (yet does have a S/PDIF output), you may substitute the FireWire Audiophile line out 3/4 for the S/PDIF output in this example. In that case, you will have to set the sync source selection in the control panels hardware page set to external. The FireWire Audiophile will have to slave to the clock signal that the effects unit is sending, while that effect unit may be limited in the number of possible sampling rates.
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 amplifier. 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. 1 In the FireWire Audiophiles output page, choose either the 3/4 out or the spdif out for your send to the headphone amp. Click that channels main/aux switch so that it displays aux. Connect that output to your headphone amp, and plug in headphones to monitor with. In the FireWire Audiophile Mixer, add level to the aux L and aux R controls to create the headphone mix. Whichever channels are playing back into the Mixer, whether theyre sw rtns, analog in or spdif in, assign an appropriate aux send level to this alternate mix.
You can make changes to the fader levels for a control room mix, and at the same time adjust the aux send levels to meet the artists desires. Both the engineer and the artist are happy, and a great recording is created.
Using the Level Controller Assignments
The Level Controller on the FireWire Audiophiles front panel is a software rotary encoder, and its function is completely assignable from the FireWire Audiophile control panel. When the control panel is first installed, the default setting for the Level Controller is to control the Outputsperfect for most of your monitoring needs. So perfect, in fact, that you may never need to change this setting. However, if you are an advanced user, you may find an advantage in modifying the Level Controller assignment or making custom settings. A likely scenario for an alternate Level Controller assignment would be to use it to control the input monitor levels when you are direct monitoring the FireWire Audiophile inputs (see section entitled Other Direct Monitoring). Well explore that use here, which might give you some ideas for other ways that you can use the Level Controller assignments.

In the right panel of the FireWire Audiophile control panel, click input as your Level Controller assignment. Click the mixer tab. On the mixer page, you should see the ctlr buttons on the analog in and spdif in channels. Youre most likely just recording with the analog inputs, so click the ctrl button on the spdif in channel to deselect those faders from the Level Controller assignments. Then, the Level Controller will ONLY control the analog in channels.
Now, you can keep your audio software open while recording, and avoid having to switch back and forth between your audio software and the FireWire Audiophile control panel to tweak your monitor levels for the inputs that you are recording. NOTE: Whenever you click on a new Level Controller assignment group, all of the possible ctrl buttons will become active. You can make changes by clicking an individual ctrl button to deselect that channel and disassociate it from the Level Controller assignment group. The control panel will then remember these modifications if you click to another assignment group and then click back to the previously modified group.

11 Troubleshooting

The FireWire Audiophile 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. In the real world, however, there is a nearly infinite number of possible operating scenarios, any of which could affect your systems performance. Much like owning an automobile, your mileage may vary. This section cannot begin to cover all possible issues you may encounter. However, we want to give you some suggestions on common problems you may experience. One thing to avoid is connecting too many devices. The FireWire bus is a dependable, high-speed, high-bandwidth protocol that is ideally suited for digital audio. Nevertheless, its 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 may potentially degrade your audio performance. Generally, FireWire devices do not suffer from the IRQ conflicts sometimes encountered with PCI cards. If you are having trouble getting audio into or out of your FireWire Audiophile, please check the following. If you have no sound: Check to see if the FireWire Audiophile drivers are properly installed. In Windows XP, go to the Control Panel and double-click the System icon (under Performance and Maintenance if youre 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 Audiophile 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 Audiophile. Open your applications audio settings page and check to see if the FireWire Audiophiles ASIO or WDM drivers have been selected. If youre certain the FireWire Audiophile 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 to make sure everything is plugged in correctly. If you are trying to record a digital input to the FireWire Audiophile 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 you are 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 Audiophiles 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.

users of M-Audio FireWire products to experience such costly problems. Therefore, MAudio must require that users of M-Audio FireWire devices refrain from hotplugging any M-Audio FireWire device. You must make your FireWire connection while both computer and FireWire device are powered off; then power on. In case your M-Audio FireWire device was not detected by your computer on startup, try the following troubleshooting options instead of hotplugging it: 4. Turn your M-Audio FireWire device off, wait 30 seconds then power it on. 5. Put your computer into hibernation mode, wait 30 seconds then reactivate it. 6. Restart the computer (dont turn it off) while the M-Audio FireWire device remains connected and powered on.

NAMM Release

M-Audio Ships FireWire Audiophile
Company builds on past success with new FireWire mobile audio/MIDI interface
Arcadia, CA, January 5, 2004 M-Audio, industry-leading manufacturer and distributor of hardware and software for computercentric musicians, is proud to announce shipment of the new FireWire Audiophile interface for Windows and Macintosh computers. The FireWire Audiophile unites new technology with the best features of M-Audios highly successful FireWire 410, Audiophile USB and Audiophile 2496 interfaces, further solidifying the companys reputation as a leader in innovative audio solutions. The FireWire Audiophile is a 4 x 6 24-bit/96kHz mobile audio/MIDI interface designed to take full advantage of the high bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and dependability of todays FireWire (IEEE 1394) protocol. Compact design, rugged steel construction, and powering via either a laptops 6-pin FireWire bus or the included DC power supply make it ideal for DJs, live performers, and desktop or laptop recording setups. FireWire Audiophile features two analog RCA inputs and four analog RCA outputs. Coaxial digital S/PDIF I/O supports 2-channel PCM, as well as AC-3 and DTS pass-through of surround encoded material. The integrated software mixer provides ultra-low latency ASIO direct monitoring and flexible routing options. The combination of virtual aux sends on all channels and aux output assign, for example, allows for dedicated headphone mixes and sends to external effects. High-powered stereo headphone output with front-panel momentary A/B switching between two selectable sources for cueing make it the perfect fit for club and stage work. In addition to independent headphone volume, the assignable level controller allows users to adjust levels for output, input, software return or aux send right from the front panel. The 1 x 1 MIDI I/O completes the units functionality as a one-stop interface for computer-based musicians. The FireWire Audiophile is one of our most exciting new products, says Adam Castillo, M-Audios Marketing Director. With users everywhere discovering the speed and low latency of FireWire devices, M-Audios proven track record with the FireWire 410 is sparking lots of interest in the FireWire Audiophile as well. At an estimated street price of under $300, the FireWire Audiophile is an affordable solution for recordists on a budget, as well as a great addition to a larger studio looking for an easy way to add FireWire connectivity. Its a powerful and substantial piece of gear thats simply too convenient and affordable not to own. FireWire Audiophile is now shipping at an MSRP of $349.95. About M-Audio M-Audio is a leading provider of creative tools for todays electronic musicians and audio professionals. Founded in 1988, M-Audio now has independent offices in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France and Japan, as well as independent distribution in most of the rest of the world. M-Audios ability to parlay advanced technology into affordable products has led the Company to win some of the international audio communitys highest praise and awards. M-Audios mission of Redefining the Studio delivers new levels of control, virtualization and mobility that transform the way computer-centric musicians compose, perform and live their creative lives. In addition to manufacturing its own product lines like the popular Delta audio cards, Studiophile reference monitors and USB MIDI controllers, M-Audio also wholly owns Evolution Electronics LTD and distributes other best-of-class products such as Propellerhead Reason, Ableton Live, and ArKaos VJ. In 2002, the Company successfully launched a product line that brings professional-quality audio to the consumer electronics market. U.S. media contact: Kevin Walt at 800-969-6434 x229 or kevin@m-audio.com. High-res images of M-Audio products are available at www.m-audio.com/company/images.php.

M-Audio USA: 45 E. Saint Joseph Street Arcadia, CA 91006-2861 Tel: (626) 445-2842 Fax: (626) 445-7564 www.m-audio.com info@m-audio.com M-Audio UK: Unit 5, Saracen Industrial Estate, Mark Rd Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7BJ England Tel: 44 (0) 6590 Fax: 44 (0) 6832 www.maudio.co.uk info@maudio.co.uk M-Audio Germany: Kuhallmand 34 D-74613 Ohringen Germany Tel: Fax: www.m-audio.de info@m-audio.de M-Audio Canada:1400 St. Jean Baptiste Ave., #150 Quebec City, QC G2E 5B7 Tel: (418) 872-0444 Fax: (418) 872-0034 www.m-audio.ca info@m-audio.ca M-Audio Japan: Annex Building 6F 2-18-10 Maranouchi Naka-Ku Nagoya Japan 460-0002 Tel: 81-52-218-3375 Fax: 81-52-218-0875 Web: www.m-audio.co.jp info@m-audio.co.jp M-Audio France: Unit 5, Saracen Industrial Estate, Mark Rd Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7BJ England Tel: 105 (Azur) Fax: 731 (Indigo) www.m-audio-france.com M-Audio Latin-America: 45 E. Saint Joseph Street Arcadia, CA 91006-2861 Tel: (949) 766-7589 Fax: (949) 766-7590 cadams@m-audio.com

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