D00756700A

FW-1884
Professional Control Surface / FireWire Audio-MIDI Interface

SETUP GUIDE

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

About the FW-1884...3
COMPUTER surface mode... 3 MIDI CTRL (control) surface mode... 4 MON MIX (monitor mix) surface mode.. 4
The IEEE 1394 standard and the FW-1884..5 Before installing the software...6
2 Installation (Windows 2000 and Windows XP)
System requirements...7 Installing the software...8 Installation using the Windows New Hardware Wizard:..8
3 Installation (Mac OS 9.2)
System requirements...9 Installing the software...9
Setting Up OMS (Mac OS pre-X only)... 9
4 Installation (Mac OS X 10.2.4 and above)
System requirements...10 Installing the software...10

5 Connections

MIDI connections...11

MIDI Routing.... 11

Analog audio connections...11

A note on output.... 12

Digital audio connections...13
Status indicators... 13 Word sync setting... 14

Other connections...14

Word sync connection... 14 Footswitch... 14
2 TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide

About the FW-1884

The FW-1884 provides your computer with highquality audio facilities: eight channels of analog input and eight of output, together with eight digital inputs and outputs through an ADAT lightpipe and a further two channels of digital audio I/O through coaxial connections (or using the optical connector)all at up to 96 kHz 24-bit (the FW-1884 supports up to four S-MUX channels through the optical connector at 88.2 or 96 kHz), four MIDI input and four output ports, and a control surface with motorized touch-sensitive faders, rotary encoders, transport keys and dedicated digital audio workstation function control keys. It is connected to the host computer using a single 6pin to 6-pin IEEE 1394 cable (supplied) that carries the audio, MIDI and control information back and forth between the FW-1884 and the computer. See "The IEEE 1394 standard and the FW-1884" on page 5 for details. The control surface can pass information to the host DAW application through the IEEE 1394 interface, using MIDI protocol.
The FW-1884 can also act as a standalone dedicated 182 monitor mixer in one of its main modes (see "MON MIX (monitor mix) surface mode" on page 4 for full details). There are three main surface modes; accessed through the mode keys as shown here (COMPUTER, MIDI CTRL and MON MIX).
Pressing one of these keys will light it, and put the FW-1884 into the appropriate mode. Although there are only eight physical channel modules fitted to the FW-1884, the BANK keys can be used to access different fader and module banks.
Before using the FW-1884 with a computer, you must install the necessary drivers and utility software on your computer. See "Installation (Windows 2000 and Windows XP)" on page 7, "Installation (Mac OS 9.2)" on page 9 and "Installation (Mac OS X 10.2.4 and above)" on page 10 for details of how to do this.
Note that the banks accessed by the BANK keys have different meanings depending on the surface mode selected (monitor mix mode, or MIDI control mode, or computer mode); see below for details.

COMPUTER surface mode

In this surface mode, operating the surface controls sends messages to the DAW software on the host computer through the control MIDI port using the IEEE 1394 connection. For operations carried out in this mode to have any effect, the FW-1884 should be connected to a host computer with the DAW software running, and configured to accept messages from the FW-1884 control MIDI port. The FW-1884 operates by default in its native emulation, recognizable by many DAW applications. For those applications that do not as yet recognize this native mode, or which have their own plug-in, it can emulate the Mackie protocol. The emulation is selectable through the software Control Panel. See the Application Guide for full details of how to operate the FW-1884 with your DAW software. Up to eight analog and/or eight ADAT outputs are available for output, depending on the DAW software configuration. The physical MIDI ports are usable by the DAW application for transmitting and receiving MIDI data to and from external MIDI equipment. MIDI THRU routing is also possiblesee "MIDI Routing" on page 11. The meaning of the banks in this mode depends on the DAW software currently running.

TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide 3
MIDI CTRL (control) surface mode
In the MIDI control surface mode, the surface controls are mapped to MIDI control messages. The BANK keys and indicators are used to select up to four banks (that is, 32 modules), and the controls can be set to transmit a different MIDI message in each bank. This mapping of controls to messages is set up in the FW-1884 Control Panel of the host computer, and the process is fully described in the main manual. Basically, you launch the FW-1884 Control Panel on the host computer, then press and hold the FW-1884s SHIFT key (bottom left of the FW-1884 control surface) and press the MIDI CTRL key to enter the programming mode. You may then follow the on-screen instructions to continue with the programming. When a control is mapped to a particular MIDI output port in this mode, when the control is operated, the appropriate OUT indicator (green) lights up as the MIDI data is transmitted from the FW-1884. Note that you do not need to connect the FW-1884 to a host computer to operate the unit in this mode you only need to connect a computer when you set up and map the MIDI messages. MIDI THRU routing capability is also available in standalone mode. See the section on MIDI connections "MIDI Routing" on page 11 for details. In this MIDI control mode, if a computer is connected, the surface controls may also be used to generate MIDI messages passed through the MIDI control port.
MON MIX (monitor mix) surface mode
TRIM control and overload & signal indicators (used on analog inputs only) Pan control
In this surface mode, the FW1884 acts as a stand-alone mixer, mixing up to eight analog signals together with eight ADAT lightpipe signals and two digital signals received at the coaxial digital input. The FW-1884 provides level, pan, mute and solo capabilities for these eighteen input channels, mixing them into two outputs (SURROUND MONITOR (BAL) 1/L and 2/ R). Surround mixing is not possible in this mode. It is also possible to monitor the signals output from the computer DAW software, either independently, or together with, the input signals. Three banks are available using the BANK keys: the analog (ANLG), ADAT and the stereo digital input (D IN) banks. In the last of these, only the first two modules are active, corresponding to the stereo S/PDIF or AES/EBU inputs.

When mixing analog signals, the TRIM controls can be used to adjust the signal input levels, which can be monitored with the overload (OL) and signal detection (SIGNAL) indicators on each module.
When mixing digital audio, there should be one, and only one word clock in the system. Follow the instructions in "Word sync setting" on page 14 to set the word clock for the system.

Solo control

Use the master fader to control the master stereo level, and the MONITOR control to adjust the level of the signal sent to the control room monitoring system (1/L and 2/R) or outputs ((DAW signals only. When the FW-1884 is in the monitor mix mode, the first three function keys of the top row are used for selecting the signals to be monitored:

Mute control

Signal level fader (and nominal position)
COMPUTER selects the signals from the DAW passed through the FireWire connection. The level of the signals from the computer is set using the master output control of the DAW software and the 8 analog outputs may be selected (using the software Control Panel) for output of these signals. INPUTS selects the analog, optical and coaxial signals for monitoring. BOTH allows the computer signals to be monitored alongside the input signals
4 TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide
In the monitor mix mode, the fourth function key on the top row is used for a special function. When this key (marked as MAST 0dB in the MONITOR row of labels) is pressed, the master fader is moved to the unity gain (0 dB) position. Individual channels can be set to unity gain by pressing and holding the SHIFT key together with the channels SEL key. The headphone level (PHONES jack on rear panel) is adjusted with the PHONES LEVEL control. Inputs can be soloed (including pre-fader solo (PFL) using the PFL keymonitor mix onlythis PFL feature does not apply to the DAW solo function) using the module SOLO keys, and muted, using the module MUTE keys. Adjust the solo signal level with the SOLO rotary control (pre-MONITOR and PHONES).
In this mode, stand-alone MIDI THRU routing is also possible. See "MIDI Routing" on page 11 for details of how to set this up.

The IEEE 1394 standard and the FW-1884
The IEEE 1394 standard allows high-speed communication between devices. It is sometimes referred to as FireWire or as i.LINK. Because of the high bandwidth (up to 400Mbps), it is suitable for applications such as multi-channel audio, as in the case of the FW-1884. IEEE 1394 connections use a daisy-chain architecture, and devices can be linked together, with a maximum length of 72m (about 230 feet) in the chain, and 4.5m (about 15 feet) between any two devices.

NOTE NOTE

Despite the fact that you can connect and disconnect the FW-1884 to and from the computer with power turned on, we strongly recommend that all connections and disconnections are made with power to both the FW-1884 and the computer turned off. If the DAW software is running when connections are made or broken, it may result in your computer crashing, or freezing and possible loss of data.
The FW-1884 is supplied with a 2 m (6-foot) cable. If you wish to use a longer cable, the length should not be more than 4.5 m (15 feet) and the cable should be the best possible quality available to avoid data loss, which results in audio dropouts.
There are two types of connector that may be used with IEEE 1394 devices. One is a 6-pin connector, and the other is a 4-pin connector (the difference between them is that the 6-pin connector carries power which can power external devices).
Many devices can be connected on a IEEE 1394 network. No termination is necessary on any device, and devices identify themselves uniquely on the system, so no ID switches, etc. need to be set. It is therefore possible to connect the FW-1884 to your computer, and to use the unused FireWire port on the FW-1884 to connect another IEEE 1394 device, such as a fader expansion unit, or a hard disk which can be used by the computer (though this latter may result in loss of audio quality when heavy I/O is taking place, so this is not recommended). The standard allows for hot-swapping. In other words, you do not have to turn off a device before connecting or disconnecting it from the IEEE 1394 chain.
TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide
The cable supplied with the FW-1884 is 6-pin to 6pinsome computers are only fitted with a 4-pin IEEE 1394 connector, and we recommend that for full bandwidth, you use a computer with a 6-pin IEEE 1394 connector.
Although an IEEE 1394 connection can supply power to some types of device, it is not possible to use such a connection to power the FW-1884.

Before installing the software
The normal precautions apply when setting up the FW-1884: Make all (computer, audio and MIDI) connections to the FW-1884 with the power turned off. See the next section for details of how to make connections. Do not connect the FW-1884 to the computer until you have installed the software. Handle the enclosed CD-ROM with care. If it becomes dirty or scratched, it will be impossible for a computer to read it, and the software cannot be installed. If the disc becomes unreadable, a charge will be made for its replacement, but software and documentation can be downloaded from the TASCAM Web site. Do not attempt to play the enclosed CD-ROM using an audio CD player, as this may cause damage to hearing, as well as to speakers, etc.
6 TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide
When the FW-1884 is installed on a Windows system as described here, it provides audio ASIO 2.0, WDM (MME) and GSIF. MIDI is provided through MME.

System requirements

Your computer should meet the specifications listed below: The controller fitted in your system should appear as shown above, with no question marks or crosses beside or over the icon.
Minimum requirements: Computer running
running Windows 2000 or Windows XP and fitted with a 6-pin IEEE 1394 (FireWire) port.
Recommended: Follow your DAW software
requirements for processor speed, memory requirements, etc.
The example above shows a disabled controller (with a cross over it). To enable it, double-click the controller icon, and from the Properties panel that appears, click the Enable Device button on the General tab.
The FW-1884 software cannot be used with Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me due to lack of full support for IEEE 1394 in these operating systems. We strongly recommend that before the installation, you ensure that the latest patches, service packs, etc. are downloaded and installed, using the Windows Update feature.
In addition, you should also note that your computer must be fitted with an IEEE 1394 interface, which is enabled. This interface should be OHCI compliant. To check this, right-click on My Computer on the desktop and select Properties. From there, select the Device Manager on the Hardware tab. You should see an item labeled IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers. Click the plus sign (+) next to it to expand it. Follow the instructions that appear on screen to reenable the device. Device conflicts, etc. as shown by question marks in the Device Manager, are out of the scope of this guide, and should be dealt with by reference to the manufacturers documentation. In these cases, it may be necessary to re-install drivers, etc. before the IEEE 1394 functionality can be properly enabled. Although this product has been checked for use with normally configured computers which meet the specifications above, we cannot guarantee the operation of the product, even with computers meeting the specifications, due to differences in architecture and implementation between computers.

TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide 7

Installing the software

The software installation procedure is essentially the same for both Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The installer program is identical for both operating systems, and is called FW1884_WIN_x_yy.EXE (x and yy represent major and minor revision numbers of the software). Although the different components of the system (drivers, control panel items, etc.) are also provided separately from the installer program, we strongly recommend that you use the installer. This ensures that the files all reside in the correct locations, and helps to reduce the possibility of future problems. Also, if you ever need to uninstall the FW-1884 software, this makes it easier for you to do so.
4 Click the Next button. The Welcome dialog box appears. 5 Click the Next button. The driver files are installed on your hard drive.
You may be prompted by a message informing you that the software you are about to install does not have a digital certificate. Simply click Continue the installation anyway and proceed.
6 If you are prompted to restart your computer, do so. 7 You can now connect the FW-1884 to the computer and turn it on. The Windows Plug and Play system detects the FW-1884 and starts the Add New Hardware wizard, which then discovers the needed files on its own. 8 When prompted, select the Install the software automatically option, and if any warnings appear regarding digital certificates, etc., ignore them and select Continue anyway. 9 This Plug and Play process takes around one minute to complete. The drivers are now installed and the FW-1884 is ready to operate.
You should visit the TASCAM Web site and check to see that you have the latest version of the software for the FW-1884. Download the latest version if necessary and proceed with the installation.
1 Make sure the FW-1884 is NOT connected to the computer. Connect the FW-1884 to the AC power, but do not turn it on yet. 2 Stop all other programs on your computer, including virus protection software. 3 Double-click on the installer program to run it.
Installation using the Windows New Hardware Wizard:
This is an alternative method of installationwe suggest that you use the method described above, however. 1 Insert the supplied CD-ROM into your computers drive (or download the latest versions if available, and note the location where you stored the drivers). 2 Stop all other programs on your computer, including virus protection software. 3 Connect the FW-1884 to the computer and turn it on. The Windows Plug and Play system notices a the FW-1884 and starts the Add New Hardware wizard. 4 Choose Search for a suitable driver for my device and press Next. 5 Enter the path where the drivers are stored (that is, the CD-ROM or the location where you stored the downloaded drivers) and click OK. 6 After the system finds the firmware download driver, click Next. 7 Click Finish. The other driver components are then automatically discovered and loaded (probably three different components are discovered). This may take some time. 8 Click Finish if prompted, and reboot if prompted. The drivers are now installed and the FW-1884 is ready to operate.

8 TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide
A G3 or G4 Macintosh (including iMac, eMac, iBook, etc.) with a FireWire port, running Mac OS 9.2 or above. Consult your DAW software requirements for RAM, processor speed, etc. Perform the installation with the FW-1884 disconnected from the computer and turned off.
The FW-1884 will NOT operate with any version of Mac OS prior to 9.2. You should visit the TASCAM Web site and check to see that you have the latest version of the software for the FW-1884. Download the latest version if necessary and proceed with the installation.
On the CD-ROM (or the downloaded disk image), there are two packages, one for OS X and one for OS 9.2. 1 Insert the CD-ROM into the computer, and you may then drag the OS 9 installer package to your hard disk (or if the TASCAM Web site has a later version, download that version). Setting Up OMS (Mac OS pre-X only) Cubase, ProTools and several other applications rely on OMS for MIDI implementation. OMS (Open Music System) is a standard for MIDI management on the Macintosh. Since the FW-1884 can send and receive MIDI, you will need to install OMS in order to use the FW-1884. The exception is Digital Performer, which utilizes FreeMIDI. The drivers support OMS and FreeMIDI independently. application (located in the Opcode folder on your hard drive). 4 Select New Studio Setup from the File menu. When prompted to select a serial (modem or printer) port, leave both selections unchecked. Click Yes and continue. OMS will assess all the MIDI ports attached to your computer and build OMS instruments for the ones it recognizes. 5 When the setup is complete you should see a list of all your connected MIDI ports. At the least you should see icons pertaining to the FW-1884 specifically: the FW-1884 icon, and the MIDI ports of the FW-1884 (including the control MIDI port passed through the IEEE 1394 interface). Once OMS setup is successfully completed, you can proceed with setting up the FW-1884 with your chosen application. Please refer to the specific documentation for your application and the main FW-1884 manual for more details. 2 Double-click the installer file, and follow its instructions. 3 Connect the FW-1884 to the computer. When the FW-1884 is connected, the system will find the drivers which have just been installed by itself.

To set up OMS with the FW-1884:
1 First, run the OMS installer. If you do not have the current version of OMS, it may be freely downloaded at www.opcode.com. 2 Locate the FW-1884 Drivers folder, which was placed on your desktop when you ran the FW1884 installer. In this folder, locate the FW1884 OMS driver. Drag the FW-1884 OMS driver into the OMS folder inside your System folder. Do not drag this file into the Opcode folder on your hard driveit will not work correctly 3 Restart your computer. Then connect the FW1884 and turn it on, and start the OMS Setup
TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide 9
A G3 or G4 Macintosh (including iMac, eMac, iBook, etc.) with a FireWire port, running Mac OS X 10.2. 4 or above. Consult your DAW software requirements for RAM, processor speed, etc. Perform the installation with the FW-1884 disconnected from the computer and turned off.
The FW-1884 will NOT operate with any version of Mac OS X prior to 10.2.4. You should visit the TASCAM Web site and check to see that you have the latest version of the software for the FW-1884. Download the latest version if necessary and proceed with the installation.
On the CD-ROM (or the downloaded disk image), there are two packages, one for OS X and one for OS 9.2. 1 The OS X image file may be mounted directly from the CD. If the TASCAM Web site has a later version, download that. Within the image file, there are two Installer packages; one to install, and one to uninstall the FW-1884 software. 2 Double-click the Installer package. 3 Enter an Administrator name and password when prompted. 4 Follow the instructions on screen to install the software. 5 Restart the computer if necessary. 6 When you plug in the FW-1884 after rebooting the computer, the FW-1884 is recognized by the system. 7 Use the Sound System Preferences Pane to set the default inputs and outputs for the computer system. 8 You may also want to use the Apple Audio and MIDI Setup application to define some of the internal gain levels, etc.
OMS and FreeMIDI, etc. are not needed under OS X, as the FW-1884 uses the CoreMIDI features of OS X to provide the MIDI facilities of the FW-1884 system-wide.
10 TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide
Always connect and disconnect equipment to and from the FW-1884 with the power to all units turned off. When turning on power, move from source to destination (in other words, turn on the monitoring system last). When turning off equipment, turn off the monitoring system first, and then turn off other equipment. This helps to prevent thumps that can damage your ears, and your equipment.

MIDI connections

MIDI instruments, controllers etc. should be connected with their MIDI OUTs connected to the MIDI IN ports of the FW-1884. The MIDI OUT ports of the FW-1884 should be connected to the MIDI IN ports of the external MIDI equipment.

Because the IEEE 1394 cable carries all MIDI information to and from the FW-1884, including messages generated by the control surface, there is no need to make any MIDI connection between the computer and the FW-1884.

MIDI Routing

As explained earlier, the FW-1884 can be used to route incoming MIDI messages to the MIDI OUT terminals, even when disconnected from a computer. Here is how this works: 1 Press the ROUTE key so that it flashes, together with the top row of keys and indicators. 2 Route MIDI INs to OUTs by pressing and holding the appropriate IN key and pressing the appropriate OUT key(s). 3 When complete, press the ROUTE key once more to exit the routing mode.
The FW-1884 can merge the MIDI messages from the different inputs and to the MIDI outputs. If you do merge these messages, though, you should make sure that there is only one MIDI clock source in the whole MIDI system.

Analog audio connections

Each of the eight analog input channels is provided with the following analog connectors MIC, LINE IN (BAL) and INSERT. When connecting analog equipment, use only one of the MIC or LINE IN connectorsdo not connect analog equipment to both at the same time. The MIC connectors may be supplied with +48V phantom power. This is switchable for channels 1 through 4 or 5 through 8 using the rear panel switches. The LINE connector for channel 8 can be switched to match the impedance of an electric guitar or bass.
Always take care when switching the phantom power, to ensure that devices which may be damaged if phantom power is supplied are not connected to XLR connectors where phantom power is supplied.
Analog devices such as compressors, etc. may be connected using standard 1/4" TRS connectors with the INSERT jacks. Use a special insert Y cable for this, with a TRS 1/4" plug at the foot of the Y (tip=send, ring=return), and the two branches fitted with an unbalanced 1/4" plug.
TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide 11
The basic connector specifications are given here for easy reference:

MIC Connector XLR-3 type: (1=ground, 2=hot, 3=cold) Input level (LINE and MIC adjustable with TRIM 58 dBu to 2 dBu control) Output level Input impedance Output impedance 2.2 k LINE IN (BAL) Balanced 1/4" jack: T=hot, R=cold, S=ground 44 dBu to +12 dBu 10 ka 2 dBu (maximum +14 dBu) 10 k 100 INSERT TRS 1/4" jack: T=send, R=return, S=ground 2 dBu (maximum +14 dBu)
a. Channel 8 can be switched to GUITAR impedance at 1 M using the GUITAR | LINE/MIC switch on the rear panel.
The eight outputs are all balanced (1/4" jack, wired as for the balanced inputs), and output signals at a nominal +4 dBu, with an impedance of 100.
These should be connected to a monitoring system. For stereo mixes, use only the first and second outputs, but all eight may be used, if your DAW software permits, for surround mixing in up to 7.1 format.

A note on output

In the software Control Panel, there are a number of options that you can set. Firstly, the rotary MONITOR control can be set to affect the levels of just the first two or all eight of the balanced outputs. Next, the master fader can be set to control the level of the two analog outputs in monitor mix mode (if this is turned off (default), the master fader affects the master stereo buss level inside the DAW software, but not the level output from the balanced outputs in monitor mix mode). Finally, the top red OVER segment of the meters can be set to light at a preset value below full-scale. Set this value in 0.5 dB steps.
12 TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide
Digital audio connections
The input from digital audio devices may be connected using the optical lightpipe input connection (ADAT/OPT). By default, this is set to be 8-channel data (ADAT format). However, you can use the software Control Panel to change the source of the SPDIF between the optical and coaxial sources. If the optical input is not being used for SPDIF input, the coaxial input can be used for this purpose. Despite the on-screen label, AES/EBU data can be input here. The FW-1884 can also output multitrack digital data from the ADAT/OPT output, either providing another eight outputs independent of the analog outputs, or duplicating them (these use ADAT format), or it can After make these connections, set the word clock appropriately as described below. The coaxial digital audio output can be used as an independent stereo output, or can duplicate the first two analog outputs. output a stereo pair in TOS format which duplicates the coaxial setting (see below).

Status indicators

The four green status indicators show the current status of: optical input if this has been selected from the Control Panel as the S/PDIF source When these indicators are lit, it means that the appropriate connection has been made and the signal is being received properly. A flashing FireWire indicator shows that there is an error in the IEEE 1394 connection. No indicator means no connection for all indicators except CLOCK. If any of the other three indicators are flashing fast, this shows an input error. A slowly flashing indicator indicates a lock problem.

FireWire The IEEE 1394 connection CLOCK The system clock ADAT The 8-channel optical input D IN The stereo digital input (AES/EBU or S/ PDIF) from either the coaxial input, or from the

Word sync setting

In a digital audio setup, there should be one and only word sync clock. The FW-1884 may act as the word sync master for the whole system, or it may act as a slave, taking the sync from the optical input (ADAT or TOS format), from the COAXIAL input or from the dedicated WORD SYNC input. These are marked on the front panel clock source (CLOCK SRC) as: INT (internal), ADAT (ADAT optical input), SPDIF (stereo digital S/ PDIF or AES/EBU input) and WCLK (word sync input). This is how you select the sync source: 1 Press and hold the CLOCK key. The keys denoting the currently-selected clock source and sampling frequency (CLOCK RATE) light. When the sync source is being correctly received from the selected source, the CLOCK status indicator lights steadily. A fast flashing status indicator shows a disconnected sync source (or the selected unit is not functioning as a sync source). A slowly flashing indicator shows that the sync source cannot be used by the FW-1884 (it is not possible to lock to the sync), possibly because the clock is out of range. 2 While holding the CLOCK key, press the appropriate clock source key and the appropriate sampling frequency (CLOCK RATE) key. These light as they are selected. As an alternative, you can use the software control panel to select the clock source and sampling frequency:

Other connections

Word sync connection
Use the BNC connectors to connect incoming word sync to the FW-1884 (WORD SYNC IN). This connector has an impedance of 75. If you are using this clock, set up the sync source to CLOCK as described above. The FW-1884 can also act as the word sync master for a system, and this reference sync signal is transmitted from the WORD SYNC OUT BNC connector. In this case, the clock source should be set to INT (internal).

Footswitch

Connect an optional footswitch (e.g. the TASCAM RC-30P) to the FOOT SW jack). You can use this footswitch as a punch controller with your DAW software, or assign it to transmit a specific MIDI command.
14 TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide
TASCAM FW-1884 Setup Guide 15

FW-1884

TEAC CORPORATION

TEAC AMERICA, INC.

Phone: +1-323-726-Telegraph Road, Montebello, California 90640 www.tascam.com Phone: +81-422-52-5082 3-7-3, Nakacho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8550, Japan www.tascam.com

TEAC CANADA LTD.

Phone: +1905-890-8008 Facsimile: +1905-890-Wallace Street, Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1Z8, Canada www.tascam.com

TEAC MEXICO, S.A. De C.V

Phone: +52-555-581-5500 Campesinos No. 184, Colonia Granjes Esmeralda, Delegaacion Iztapalapa CP 09810, Mexico DF www.tascam.com

TASCAM FW-1884 Control Surface Messaging
Revision 1.6 Date: 3/31/2004 Change Log Revision 1.6 3/31/04 Added Unicode version of SoftLCD text messages, Device Inquiry messaging (These messages added for Windows driver software 1.20; will be included in the next (post-v1.20) Mac OS X driver.) Revision 1.5 1/27/04 Extended SoftLCD commands section. Revision 1.4 11/4/03 Added notes regarding FE-8 and SoftLCD support. Revision 1.3 6/24/03 Small fixes and clean-up. Revision 1.2 5/16/03 Clarified host-to-FW1884 fader messages by explicitly including the UPDATE_FADER_POSITION message. (Previously this was dealt with as a note to the FW1884-to-host FADER POSITION message description.) Revision 1.1 5/5/03 Changed the channel 1 fader message in and out. This used the same MIDI controller as Sustain Pedal which is zerod by the Windows MIDI system when a MIDI port is closed. Note: This channel fader message is no longer compatible with the US-428. Revision 1.0 3/24/03 Original version Purpose Provide simple, effective integration between the FW-1884 and host software applications. Support for channel strip expansion (via the FE-8) and on-screen feedback (via SoftLCD) is also provided. Introduction The FW-1884 provides digital audio I/O, MIDI, and control surface functions in a single affordable FireWire-based product. While the audio and MIDI I/O follow established standards which are easily interfaced with host applications, full integration of the control surface aspects of the FW-1884 requires a set of messages to be defined which permits two-way communication of control information between the host application and FW-1884. These messages are transmitted and received over Firewire on the virtual MIDI"FW-1884 Control" port. The FE-8 is a fader-expansion unit for the FW-1884. It replicates the FW-1884s 8 channel strips, including touch-sensitive 100mm motorized fader, illuminated MUTE, SOLO, and SELECT buttons, and an encoder. Up to 15 FE-8s may be used with an FW-1884. Every FE-8 that is connected to a host computer is controlled by its own virtual MIDI control port. The MIDI messages to and from an FE-8 are identical to the channel strip messages to and from an FW-1884. SoftLCD is a host computer application that can display information on behalf of the FW-1884. MIDI sysex commands can be sent to the FW-1884 to direct it to display characters in the SoftLCD window. This document describes the Midi message format that an application can use to "write" onto the SoftLCD display.
Functional Groups The FW-1884s control surface is divided into several major functional groups. From left to right: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) j) k) Shortcut buttons and LEDs Encoder-assignment buttons and LEDs Channel-strip controls (faders, mutes, solos, encoders, etc) EQ buttons, continuous EQ and encoders, and associated status LEDs Surface mode selection buttons and LEDs MIDI routing buttons and LED Assignable function buttons, LEDs Navigation arrow-keys, shuttle button, and data wheel Bank buttons and LEDs Transport, nudge, marker, and locate buttons and LEDs Miscellaneous buttons and LEDs
Note: Some of the buttons and LEDs are not visible to the host computer and the associated applications running on the host. For example, the status of the 1394, ADAT, S/PDIF, and CLOCK LEDs is controlled by firmware running on the FW-1884. The buttons and LEDs which have no visibility or relationship to the host computer are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. PFL button and LED Surface mode buttons and LEDs (COMPUTER, MIDI CTRL, MON MIX) CLOCK button CONTROL PANEL button and LED MIDI ROUTE buttons and LEDs F7-F10 and the automation buttons and LEDs when MIDI routing is active DIG IN and CLOCK LEDs (1394, CLOCK, ADAT, SPDIF) When in MON MIX or MIDI CNTRL modes, the BANK-LEFT and BANK-RIGHT button, and associated LEDs are controlled strictly by firmware, as are most other buttons and LEDs, except for those in the bottom-right of the control surface (transport/locate buttons, NUDGE buttons, data wheel, SHUTTLE button). 9. Channel OVR and SIG LEDs 10. Metering LEDs
Communication model Standard MIDI controller and sysex messages will be used to communicate between the host and FW-1884. In many cases, the commands transmitted by the FW-1884 in native mode are identical to those generated by the Tascam US-428 and/or the JL Cooper CS-10 controller. In general, it is desired that overall system state information be maintained by the host application, rather than in the FW-1884. As an example, here is how a change in transport state from STOP to PLAY might be communicated: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. User presses PLAY button on FW-1884. Play-button command is sent via Firewire to host application as MIDI. Application receives Play message from the FW-1884 Control Midi input device. Application switches to PLAY mode, just as if user had performed the operation with a mouseclick. Application sends Transport Update message to FW-1884 Control Midi output device, which is sent via Firewire to the FW-1884. FW-1884 interprets transport-update command, and responds by activating the PLAY LED.

In this example, the FW-1884 doesnt know the state of the transport. It has simply sent a command indicating the button-press, and responded to the transport-update command from the host by lighting the appropriate transport LED. It is recommended that the following three buttons always be used as type-modifier buttons: SHIFT, CTRL, and REC. When any of these are held down, they can be used to modify the behavior of other button presses.
Transport/Locate command set The FW-1884 contains a set of standard transport buttons: REW, FFWD, STOP, PLAY, and RECORD. In addition, dedicated status LEDs are used to communicate the current transport state to the user. The LEDs indicate REW, FFWD, PLAY, and RECORD. (Note that there is no LED to indicate STOP.) Additionally, there are three locate buttons, which can be used to set and locate to markers established on the host applications timeline. SET is intended to be used as a SHIFT key, along with either the < or > button to drop a marker at the applications current time. FW-1884 to Host Messages (transmitted at button transitions) 1. TRANSPORT_REWIND a. Button-down: b. Button-up: TRANSPORT_FFWD c. Button-down: d. Button-up: TRANSPORT_STOP e. Button-down: f. Button-up: TRANSPORT_PLAY g. Button-down: h. Button-up: TRANSPORT_RECORD i. Button-down: b. Button-up: BF 13 7F BF BF 14 7F BF BF 15 7F BF BF 16 7F BF BF 17 7F BF 17 00
LOCATE_LEFT (non CS-10) j. Button-down: BF 18 7F k. Button-up: BF LOCATE_RIGHT (non CS-10) l. Button-down: BF 19 7F m. Button-up: BF 19 00
SET_LOCATE (non CS-10) n. Button-down: BF 1A 7F o. Button-up: BF 1A 00 PUNCH_IN (non CS-10) p. Button-down: BF 1B 7F q. Button-up: BF 1B 00 PUNCH_OUT (non CS-10) r. Button-down: BF 1C 7F s. Button-up: BF 1C 00 NUDGE_LEFT (non CS-10) t. Button-down: BF 1D 7F u. Button-up: BF 1D 00 NUDGE_RIGHT (non CS-10) v. Button-down: BF 1E 7F w. Button-up: BF 1E 00 FOOTSWITCH x. Switch-down: BF 1F 7F y. Switch-up: BF 1F 00
Host to FW-1884 Messages (transmitted when host transport-state changes) 1. UPDATE_TRANSPORT_LED: a. State is REWIND: b. State is FFWD: c. State is STOP: d. State is PLAY: e. State is RECORD: F0 4E <UNIT> 12 F0 4E <UNIT> 12 F0 4E <UNIT> 12 F0 4E <UNIT> 12 F0 4E <UNIT> 13 <STATE> F14 <STATE> F15 <STATE> F16 <STATE> F17 <STATE> F7
Where: <UNIT> is device ID. Should be transmitted as 0 for now. <STATE> == 0 turns LED OFF <STATE> == 7F turns LED ON
Per-channel Control command set The FW-1884 and the FE-8 include a set of 8 channel-strip controls and LEDs. Each channel-strip includes the following controls: a. b. c. d. e. f. Motorized fader with touch-sensor for gain control Mute button and LED Solo button and LED Select button and LED Record-enable LED Pan/aux encoder
Note: The per-channel SIG, OVR LEDs are under FW-1884 firmware control, and do not have associated host control messages. FW-1884/FE-8 to Host Commands 1. FADER_POSITION: BF 4x vv 5x ww

x = [F, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7], (channel, except for the first channel which is mapped to F) vv = [0.7F] (7 MSBs) ww = [00,10,20,30,40,50,60,or 70] (3 LSBs of fader ADC shift left) x=[0.8], 0.7 for track faders, 8 for master fader
FADER_TOUCH: f. Fader touched g. Fader released MUTE_SWITCH: a. Button-down: b. Button-up: SOLO_SWITCH a. Button-down: b. Button-up: SELECT_SWITCH: h. Button-down: i. Button-up: PAN_ENCODER REC_SWITCH: j. Button-down: k. Button-up:
BF 7x 7F BF 7x 00 BF 0x 7F BF 0x 00 BF 0x 7F BF 0x 00 BF 2x 7F BF 2x 00 BF 6x vv BF 29 7F BF 29 00

x=[0.7] x=[8. F]

x=[0.7] x=[8.F], vv = 2s complement using 7 data bits
Host to FW-1884/FE-8 Messages Note: In these messages, <STRIP #> is a number in the range [0.7], corresponding to the channel-strip #, and <STATE> is either 0x00 (LED OFF) or 0x7F (LED ON). Transmit <UNIT> as 0 for now. 1. UPDATE_MUTE_LED: 2. UPDATE_SEL_LED: 3. UPDATE_REC_LED: F0 4E <UNIT> <STRIP #> <STATE> F7 F0 4E <UNIT> <STRIP #> <STATE> F7 F0 4E <UNIT> <STRIP #> <STATE> F7
// Note: following message forces FW-1884 to send current fader position messages to host // via the FW-1884 Control Port 4. DUMP_FADER_POS: 5. UPDATE_SOLO_LED 6. CLEAR_ALL_LEDS 7. ZERO_CHANNEL_FADERS F0 4E <UNIT> F7 F0 4E <UNIT> <STRIP #> <STATE> F7 F0 4E <UNIT> F7 F0 4E <UNIT> F7
8. UPDATE_FADER_POSITION: BF 4x vv 5x ww
x = [F, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7], (channel, except for the first channel which is mapped to F) vv = [0.7F] (7 MSBs) ww = [00,10,20,30,40,50,60,or 70] (3 LSBs of fader ADC shift left) NOTE: To move the fader from the host computer, the above messages are transmitted by the host application. They will be interpreted in the driver, which will send the appropriate 10-bit values to the FW1884 and move the fader. To minimize fader noise, the MS and LS parts of the fader position should be sent in quick succession.
Bank-Switching Command Set The FW-1884 has two buttons that allow the user to select the bank of application channels that is addressed by the eight channel-strips. For example, an application with 32 virtual tracks would define 4 banks of eight channel strips each. The Bank-L and Bank-R buttons let the user quickly shift the control surface to address any bank of eight channels. There are two LEDs adjacent to the Bank-L and Bank-R buttons, which indicate that pressing the button will cause the application software to switch to the next lower or higher bank, respectively. It is OFF when there are no further virtual fader banks available in that direction. FW-1884 to Host Commands 1. BANK_LEFT: a. Button-down: b. Button-up: 2. BANK_RIGHT: a. Button-down: b. Button-up:
BF 10 7F BF BF 11 7F BF 11 00
Host to FW-1884 Messages: 1. UPDATE_BANK_LEFT_LED: 2. UPDATE_BANK_RIGHT_LED: 3. UPDATE_BANK_2_LED: 4. UPDATE_BANK_3_LED:
F0 4E <UNIT> 12 F0 4E <UNIT> 12 F0 4E <UNIT> 12 F0 4E <UNIT> 12

07 <STATE> F<STATE> F<STATE> F<STATE> F7
where <STATE> is either 0x00 (LED OFF) or 0x7F (LED ON) <UNIT> is device ID. Should be transmitted as 0 for now.
EQ Knobs and Band Selection Command Set Three continuous-turn rotary encoders allow the user to set the Gain, Frequency, and Bandwidth of a band of parametric EQ. The controller numbers used are the same as the JL Cooper CS-10, however instead of an absolute 0.7F value, the increment/decrement of the encoder is transmitted. The application must understand when the logical limit of the EQ control has been reached, and provide on-screen feedback to let the user know that he is at the minimum or maximum setting for the control. This prevents wrapping and discontinuous changes in the values of the parameters being sent. A pan encoder knob is also defined; its operation is similar to the EQ encoders. FW-1884 To Host Commands: 1. SELECT_EQ_HI a. Button-down: b. Button-up: 2. SELECT_EQ_HIMID c. Button-down: d. Button-up: 3. SELECT_EQ_LOMID e. Button-down: f. Button-up: 4. SELECT_EQ_LO g. Button-down: h. Button-up: 5. EQ_GAIN_CHANGE: i. BF 48 vv, 6. EQ_FREQ_CHANGE j. BF 49 vv, EQ_BW_CHANGE k. BF 4A vv,
BF 2C 7F BF 2C 00 BF 2D 7F BF 2D 00 BF 2E 7F BF 2E 00 BF 2F 7F BF 2F 00 vv = 2s complement using 7 data bits
vv = 2s complement using 7 data bits
MASTER_FADER l. BF 4B vv 5B ww,
vv = [0.7F] (7 MSBs) ww = [00,10,20,30,40,50,60,or 70] (3 LSBs of fader ADC shift left)
Host to FW-1884 Messages: 1. UPDATE_EQ_HI_LED: 2. UPDATE_EQ_HIMID_LED: 3. UPDATE_EQ_LOMID_LED: 4. UPDATE_EQ_LO_LED:
09 <STATE> F7 0A <STATE> F7 0B <STATE> F7 0C <STATE> F7
Function and Automation buttons, LEDs, and continuous data wheel Above the datawheel are eight buttons. The top four are function buttons F7-F10. These are mappable to any DAW function. Below them are four buttons that are normally for automation, but can also be mapped. Below these are arrow buttons and an illuminated shuttle button next to the datawheel.
FW-1884 to Host Commands: 1. F7 a. Button-down: BF 35 7F b. Button-up: 2. F8 a. Button-down: BF 36 7F b. Button-up: 3. F9 a. Button-down: BF 37 7F b. Button-up: 4. F10 a. Button-down: BF 38 7F b. Button-up: 5. READ a. Button-down: BF 39 7F b. Button-up: 6. WRT a. Button-down: BF 3A 7F b. Button-up: 7. TCH a. Button-down: BF 3B 7F b. Button-up: 8. LATCH a. Button-down: BF 3C 7F b. Button-up: 9. SHUTTLE_SWITCH a. b. Button-down: Button-up: BF 7B 7F BF 7B 00 BF 3C 00 BF 3B 00 BF 3A 00 BF BF BF BF BF 35 00
10. ARROW_UP c. d. Button-down: Button-up: BF 7C 7F BF 7C 00
11. ARROW_DOWN e. f. Button-down: Button-up: BF 7D 7F BF 7D 00
12. ARROW_LEFT g. h. Button-down: Button-up: BF 7E 7F BF 7E 00
13. ARROW_RIGHT i. j. Button-down: Button-up: BF 7F 7F BF 7F 00
14. DATA_WHEEL (identical to JL Cooper CS-10) a. BF 60 vv, vv = 2s complement using 7 data bits

Host to FW-1884 Messages: 1. UPDATE_FN_LED: 2. UPDATE_AUTO_LED: 3. UPDATE_SHUTTLE_LED: where <FN #> is in the range [0.3] corresponding to LEDs [F7F10] <AUTO #> is in the range [4.7] corresponding to LEDs READ, WRT, TCH, and LATCH <UNIT> Transmit as 0 for now. <STATE> is either 0x00 (LED OFF) or 0x7F (LED ON) Editing/Shortcut buttons These buttons in the lower left are shortcuts for editing and other functions. They all have default labels. While any can be remapped to other functions, it is highly recommended that EDIT_SHIFT and EDIT_CTRL be used as modifier keys. FW-1884 to Host Commands: 1. EDIT_SAVE_F1 a. Button-down: BE 01 7F b. Button-up: 2. BE F0 4E <UNIT> 12 0E <FN #> <STATE> F7 F0 4E <UNIT> 12 0E <AUTO #> <STATE> F7 F0 4E <UNIT> 12 0E 7C <STATE> F7
EDIT_REVERT_F2 a. Button-down: BE 02 7F b. Button-up: BE 02 00
EDIT_ALL_SAFE_F3 a. Button-down: BE 03 7F b. Button-up: BE 03 00
EDIT_CLR_SOLO_F4 a. Button-down: BE 04 7F b. Button-up: BE 04 00
EDIT_MARKER_F5 a. Button-down: BE 05 7F b. Button-up: BE 05 00
EDIT_LOOP_F6 a. Button-down: BE 06 7F b. Button-up: BE 06 00
EDIT_CUT a. Button-down: BE 07 7F b. Button-up: BE 07 00
EDIT_DEL a. Button-down: BE 08 7F b. Button-up: BE 08 00
EDIT_COPY a. Button-down: BE 09 7F b. Button-up: BE 09 00
10. EDIT_PASTE a. Button-down: BE 0A 7F b. Button-up: BE 0A 00
11. EDIT_ALT_CMD a. Button-down: BE 0B 7F b. Button-up: 12. EDIT_UNDO a. Button-down: BE 0C 7F b. Button-up: 13. EDIT_SHIFT a. Button-down: BE 0D 7F b. Button-up: 14. EDIT_CTRL a. Button-down: BE 0E 7F b. Button-up: BE 0E 00 BE 0D 00 BE 0C 00 BE 0B 00
Host to FW-1884 Messages: 1. UPDATE_EDIT_LED: F0 4E <UNIT> <EDIT BUTTON #> <STATE> F7 where: <EDIT BUTTON #> is in the range [01.0E] corresponding to edit buttons with the identical button codes <UNIT> Transmit as 0 for now. <STATE> is either 0x00 (LED OFF) or 0x7F (LED ON)
Encoder Assignment Keys FW-1884 to Host Commands: 1. ASSIGN_FLIP a. Button-down: BE 10 7F b. Button-up: 2. ASSIGN_PAN a. Button-down: BE 11 7F b. Button-up: 3. ASSIGN_AUX1 a. Button-down: BE 12 7F b. Button-up: 4. ASSIGN_AUX2 a. Button-down: BE 13 7F b. Button-up: 5. ASSIGN_AUX3 a. Button-down: BE 14 7F b. Button-up: 6. ASSIGN_AUX4 a. Button-down: BE 15 7F b. Button-up: 7. ASSIGN_AUX5 a. Button-down: BE 16 7F b. Button-up: 8. ASSIGN_AUX6 a. Button-down: BE 17 7F b. Button-up: 9. ASSIGN_AUX7 a. Button-down: BE 18 7F b. Button-up: 10. ASSIGN_AUX8 a. Button-down: BE 19 7F b. Button-up: BE BE BE BE BE BE BE BE BE BE 10 00
Host to FW-1884 Messages: 1. UPDATE_ENCODER_ASSIGN_LED: F0 4E <UNIT> <ASSIGN BUTTON #> <STATE> F7 where: <ASSIGN BUTTON #> is in the range [10.19] corresponding to encoder-assignment buttons with the identical button codes <UNIT> Transmit as 0 for now. <STATE> is either 0x00 (LED OFF) or 0x7F (LED ON)

SoftLCD Commands SoftLCD is a host computer application that can display information in a window on the host computer on behalf of the FW-1884. The SoftLCD window displays two lines of 55 characters. If the SoftLCD application is running, then sysex MIDI messages can be sent to the FW-1884 MIDI control port that will make characters display in the SoftLCD window. The SoftLCD sysex command provides a string of ASCII characters and a starting position for that string in the SoftLCD window. The sysex command is: SoftLCD Text F0 4E <UNIT> <OFFSET> <C1> <C2> F7 where: transmit as 00 for now position of character C1 in the SoftLCD window [00.36] for the top line, [38.6E] for the bottom line Note: an OFFSET of 7F is a special value, used below. <C1>, <C2> ASCII character data to be displayed When one or more FE-8 expansion units are used with an FW-1884, the current version of SoftLCD will only display the text information from one of the devices. A sysex message can be send to tell SoftLCD which set of messages to display (e.g. from the FW-1884, or from FE-8 #1, or from FE-8 #2, etc.). The SoftLCD application is responsible for caching the text to be displayed from each of the control devices. The following command can be sent to tell SoftLCD to display text from the associated control device. For example, pressing a SEL button on an FE-8 that does not have a selected channel strip might select that channel strip and send this message. Display SoftLCD Text From This Device F0 4E <UNIT> 7F F7 <UNIT> <OFFSET>
Future versions of SoftLCD may support multiple windows, one per control device. Such an extended application will ignore the display me messages, and just route all commands to their associated display window. In this way, the same control plug-in can be compatible with single- or multiple-window SoftLCD applications. SoftLCD Unicode Text (Windows driver version 1.20 and later, Mac OS X post-v1.20 driver) F0 4E <UNIT> <OFFSET> <C1H MSN> <C1H LSN> <C1L MSN> <C1L LSN> <C2H MSN> <C2H LSN> <C2L MSN> <C2L LSN> F7 where: <UNIT> <OFFSET> <C1H MSN> <C1H LSN> <C1L MSN> <C1L LSN> transmit as 00 for now position of character C1 in the SoftLCD window [00.36] for the top line, [38.6E] for the bottom line Unicode High byte Most significant nibble Unicode High byte, Least significant nibble Unicode Low byte Most significant nibble Unicode Low byte, Least significant nibble
Device Inquiry Command (Windows driver version 1.20 and later, Mac OS X post-v1.20 driver) The FW-1884 supports the MIDI Non-Real Time System Exclusive General Information "Device Inquiry" message, and sends the associated response. The inquiry message is F0 7E 01 F7 The FW-1884's response is F0 7E 02 4E F7 where: 4E TASCAM Sysex ID Family ID == 0 Device Type = 0x12 (FW1884) Software revision == 01.00 (example)