Service Information

If the Trak2 is kept in a clean environment free of excess dust, moisture and heat, it will give years of troublefree service. The Trak2 contains no user-serviceable components: refer to qualified service personnel for repair or upgrade. Your warranty will be voided if you tamper with the internal components. If you have any questions with regard to the above, please contact Apogee. In the event your Trak2 needs to be upgraded or repaired, it is necessary to contact Apogee prior to shipping, and a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number will be assigned. This number will serve as a reference for you and helps facilitate and expedite the return process. Apogee requires that shipments be pre-paid and insured unless otherwise authorized in advance. IMPORTANT: Any shipment that is not pre-paid or is sent without an RMA number will not be accepted.

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Declarations of Conformity
Declaration of ConformityFCC

Apogee Trak2

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful inteference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: 1. Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna. 2. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. 3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a different circuit from that to which the receiver is connected. 4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. NOTE: The use of non-shielded cable with this equipment is prohibited. CAUTION: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer responsible for compliance could void the users authority to operate the equipment. Apogee Electronics Corporation, 3145 Donald Douglas Loop South, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Betty Bennett, CEO.

Industry Canada Notice

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations. Cet appareil numrique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Rglement sur le matrial brouilleur du Canada.
Declaration of Conformity CE
Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the product, the Trak2, to which this declaration relates, is in material conformity with the following standards or other normative documents: EN50081-1/EN55022; 1995 EN50082-1/IEC 801-2, 3, 4; 1992 following the provisions of: 73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive 89/336/EEC EMC Directive
Declaration of Conformity Japan
Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the Trak2, to which this declaration relates, is in material conformity with the VCCI Class A standard.
Declaration of Conformity Australia
Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the Trak2 is in material conformity with AN/NZS standard requirements.

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Licensing and Legal Information
Carefully read the following legal agreement prior to using the UV22HR process provided in the Trak2. Use of UV22HR constitutes your acceptance of these terms. If you do not agree to the terms of the agreement, promptly return the Trak2 and the accompanying items, including written materials and containers to the location where you obtained them for a full refund. 1. License Grant APOGEE ELECTRONICS CORPORATION (Apogee) hereby grants to you, the Purchaser (either as an individual or entity), a personal, non-transferable, and non-exclusive right to use the UV22HR Process provided with this license. You agree you will not copy the materials accompanying the Trak2. The material contained in this manual consists of information that is the property of Apogee and is intended solely for use by the purchasers of the equipment described in this manual. Apogee expressly prohibits the duplication of any portion of this manual or the use thereof for any purpose other than the operation or maintenance of the equipment described in this manual without the express written permission of Apogee. 2. Copyright You acknowledge that no title to the intellectual property in the Trak2 is transferred to you. You further acknowledge that title and full ownership rights to the Trak2 will remain the exclusive property of Apogee, and you will not acquire any rights to the UV22HR process except as expressly set forth above. 3. Reverse Engineering You agree that you will not attempt (and, if you are a corporation, you agree to use your best efforts to prevent your employees and contractors from attempting) to reverse compile, modify, translate or disassemble the UV22HR Process Software in whole or in part. 4. Customer Remedies Apogees entire liability and your sole and exclusive remedy shall be, at Apogees option, either to (a) correct the error, (b) help you work around or avoid the error or (c) authorize a refund or replacement (at Apogees option), so long as the Trak2, documentation and all accompanying items are returned to Apogee according to the instructions on the Warranty Information page opposite, with a copy of your receipts.

CAUTION Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by APOGEE ELECTRONICS CORPORATION could void your authority to operate this equipment under the FCC rules.

OWNERS RECORD

The serial number is located on the rear panel of the unit. We suggest you record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to it whenever you call an authorized Apogee Electronics repair facility or the manufacturer. Please be sure to return your completed warranty card immediately!
Serial No. ________________
Purchase Date __________________
Factory Firmware Revision ________________ Dealer____________________________________________________ Phone ____________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________

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Users Installation Notes
Space left blank for user tracking of factory modifications, option installations, software upgrades, manual revisions/ addenda, internal settings.

About This Manual

This manual was written to help you to use this product to its fullest potential. Although the Trak2 is inherently simple to operate, it may contain features that may not be obvious from the front panel. Therefore, reading this manual is recommended to unlock the full value of this product. This manual was also written to prevent misuse of this product. Should you run into a problem when operating the Trak2, the solution is hopefully contained in the following pages. We expect that this manual will serve as the basis of your diagnosis of problems encountered and hope it will be used as such prior to any calls to technical support at Apogee. Remember before calling technical support at Apogee, you must register this product either by sending in the registration card or by registering on the Apogee Web site (http://www.apogeedigital.com). The technical support specialist will refer to the manual during your call and will expect that you have read it and understand the product to some degree. If you have any suggestions on how to improve this owners manual, please forward them to support@apogeedigital.com or fax them to +1-310-391-6262.

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Table of Contents
Warnings.....4 Registration & Warranty Information...5 Service Information....5 Declarations of Conformity....6 Licensing & Legal Information...7 Owners record.....7 Users Installation Notes....8 About This Manual...8 The Manual Table of Contents....9 General Product Description...11

Block Diagram.....11

The Front Panel....12
Getting Around the Front Panel and LCD....12 Resetting and Re-initializing the Trak2....12 Typical uses for Line Input mode....13
Tour of the Back Panel....16

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Trak2 Users Guide The default screen is the Active Status Display (see opposite), which shows the overall configuration of the various inputs and outputs, gain, analog processing, and other useful information. It is possible to operate the Trak2 in most common recording situations just from the Active Status Display. Data wheel The data wheel allows data entry. With the cursor highlighting a field, turn the data wheel clockwise or counterclockwise to step through that fields various selections or through a range of values. The data wheel can also be: pressed momentarily quickly double-pressed (like double-clicking a mouse) pressed and held for two seconds to perform different functions. For example, with the cursor highlighting the Channel 1 Mic Gain field in the Active Status Display: Rotating the data wheel will step through a range of mic gain values from 0.0 to +90.0 dB. Quickly double-pressing the data wheel will engage or disengage the 20 dB pad. Pressing and holding the data wheel for 2 seconds will engage or disengage Gain Ride Mode (see Gain Ride Mode on page 21). Status LEDs CLIP: The CLIP LEDs indicate analog clipping on the microphone preamplifier inputs only. These LEDs do not indicate clipping on the analog line-level inputs and they do not indicate digital overs (digital overs are indicated on the meters OVER LEDs). +48V: These LEDs indicate that +48V phantom power is engaged on the microphone inputs. (polarity reverse): These LEDs indicate polarity reversal for the microphone preamps only in much the same way a typical console functions, in that reversing the polarity on a microphone input only affects that mic input and does not affect the rest of the inputs and outputs. Reversing the polarity for the mic preamps does not affect the overall pin 2/pin 3 polarity settings for the line inputs and main outputs. Set polarity reversal for the mic inputs in the Active Status Displays fourth field from the left (located under the symbol). See the LCD in Detail section, page 18 onwards, for more information on mic and system polarity settings. INS (INSERTS): When these LEDs are lit, the unit is in line-level mode and the digital converters take their feed from the LINE inputs on the back panel. There are two basic input modes for the Trak2: mic and line. This works similarly to typical console selection of mic or line input with an interesting twist. When the Trak2 is in Mic input mode (INS LEDs OFF), the microphone inputs on the front and back panel are fed directly to the digital converters. This can be thought of as a mic direct mode (MIC INA/D). This mode was created to internally patch the SEND outputs to the LINE inputs without the need for external patching with XLR cables. When the unit is in Line input mode (INS LEDs ON), the line inputs on the back panel are fed to the digital converters (LINE INA/D). This mode is used when inserting an external processor (eg an EQ unit or compressor) or when just feeding the line inputs from a line-level source such as a console. Note that the mic preamp can always be used (mic inputs and SEND outputs are always active) no matter which mode is selected. The mic/line modes only have to do with which of the two inputs feed the A/D converter directly. The mic preamp can be used completely independently of the rest of the unit and can be thought of as a separate unit altogether, which happens to be housed inside the same box with the converters. A +4 dBu or 10 dBV signal can be fed to the rear-panel line inputs. Select +4/10 in SYSTEM SETUP/GLOBAL/SYSTEM ANALOG REFERENCE.

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Typical uses for the line input mode
During mixdown from the line outputs of your console to the digital inputs of your DAT recorder, CD-R recorder, etc. When recording balanced line level sources such as the direct output of a bass preamp. During tracking of miked instruments to set up an effects loop after the microphone preamplifier outputs. Example: microphoneMIC IN (Trak2)SENDS (out)line input of outboard compressorLINE IN (Trak2)A/D (via Trak2 internal routing)
Troubleshooting Note: when the unit is in LINE IN mode, if no inputs are connected to the CH 1 and CH 2 LINE IN on the rear panel, no sound will reach the unit. See Details Section for more info on this topic. AUX: These LEDs indicate that the AUX inputs on the front-panel are the active inputs (the rear-panel mic inputs are not active). The inputs on the front panel use the dual Neutrik XLR/TRS connectors and can accommodate XLR or balanced/unbalanced 14in inputs. When using the 14in inputs, the Trak2 automatically detects the presence of the 14in jack and sets itself to that mode (the AUX LED will blink). When using the front-panel AUX inputs, you can still route the audio out of the SEND outputs to outboard equipment and back into the LINE inputs (with the unit set to LINE IN mode in the Active Status Display). Also see the input block diagram on page 11.
QUICK KEYS (User assignable buttons): Quick Keys provide shortcuts for up to four commonly used fields. Note that the Quick Key press will only jump you to the selected field; it will not actuate the function (set up Quick Key functions in SYSTEM SETUP/QUICK KEYS). Some common uses include: Quickly jumping to either Mic Gain field. Quickly jumping to Mutes field. Quickly jumping to commonly used screens such as Routing or System Setup. Hidden Quick Keys: Simultaneously pressing the left and right cursor arrow exit you back one level per press. Simultaneously pressing the up and down cursor arrow always take you to the Active Status Display Simultaneously pressing both Quick Key buttons will always take you to the headphone volume field. STEREO METERS: The stereo meters on the Trak2 provide several different level-metering modes as follows: Peak metering only with no peak hold Peak metering only with 2-second peak hold Peak metering only with infinite peak hold Peak and average metering with no hold Peak and average metering with 2-second peak hold Peak and average metering with infinite peak hold The meters are also used to quickly and accurately calibrate the A/D input gain. In CAL (meter zoom) mode, which is automatically selected by entering the A/D or D/A ADVANCED menus, the entire meter covers only a 2 dB range (indicated by the 1.0, 0.0, and +1.0 upper markings) instead of the normal 50 dBFS to 0 dBFS range. See the section on A/D calibration on page 24. The scale that lies between the two meters indicates digital level in dBFS (decibel full-scale). Remember that the analog (dBu) and digital (dBFS) scales are quite different. 0 dBFS (or fullscale digital) is a hard digital ceiling above which no signal can go, whereas, 0 dBu is a reference point on the analog scale above which signals can easily travel. On professional analog consoles, 0 VU on the console meter often equates to the professional reference level of +4 dBu. A/D converters are often calibrated so that

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Tour of the back panel
MIC PRE IN: The microphone-level inputs are designed to accept many different types of microphones including dynamic, condenser, ribbon, tube, etc. +48V phantom power can be applied on the mic-pre inputs to power condenser microphones. The mic inputs have phantom power protection (page 22). The unit is shipped from the factory pin 2-hot. This can be changed to Pin 3 hot in the SYSTEM POLARITY field of the GLOBAL SETTINGS page (page 33). SEND: The CH 1 and CH 2 SENDs are line-level analog outputs just after the microphone preamplifier (i.e., the signals from these outputs have not gone through any digital conversion). The mic preamp can be used completely independently from the rest of the unit and is always active. Use the SEND outputs to create an effects loop after the mic preamplifier. For example, connect a microphone directly into the MIC PRE IN 1, connect CH 1 SEND to the input of an external compressor, then connect the output of the compressor to CH 1 LINE IN. To set up this configuration, select ON under LINE IN in the Active Status Display to place the unit into LINE INA/D mode. This function can be actuated by either pressing or turning the data wheel. Because the mic preamplifier section works as a completely independent unit and is always active, you can also, for example, use these sends to record on to analog equipment (the SENDs are always active even if the unit is in MICA/D mode). While in MICA/D mode, use the SEND to monitor the signal before it passes through your digital audio workstation (for example, when using DAWs that have latency issues). LINE IN: These inputs are designed to accept low-impedance line-level signals such as the outputs from a console, compressor, etc. They can accept both +4dBu and 10dBv inputs (selectable via SYSTEM SETUP/GLOBAL/SYSTEM ANALOG REFERENCE) and balanced or unbalanced signals (unbalanced signals are electronically balanced at the input stage). Polarity can be selected to pin 2- or pin 3-hot via SYSTEM SETUP/GLOBAL SETTINGS/SYSTEM POLARITY (factory default is pin 2-hot). D/A CONVERTER OPTION: The digital-to-analog converter card slot is designed to accept a 2- or 8-channel 24-bit/96 kHz digital-to-analog converter card made specifically for the Trak2 (the AD-8000 DAC2 and DAC8 do not work in this slot). The 2-channel card has on-board XLR connectors while the 8-channel card uses a DB-25 pin connector and a multi-channel output cable (pin-compatible with the Tascam DA-88 analog output see pinout opposite). The DAC-2 L/R outputs can be set to pick up any pair of the output bus (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8) via the DAC O.P field of the DIGITAL TO ANALOG CONVERTER field. Note: This option is only visible if you have a 2-channel D/A converter card installed. The DAC-2 and DAC-8 (w/output cable) are shipped from the factory pin 2-hot. This can be changed via SYSTEM SETUP/GLOBAL/SYSTEM POLARITY. Note that polarity is switched globally for both the line inputs and line outputs, e.g., it is impossible to select pin 2-hot for the line in and pin 3-hot for the line out (however, mic-pre polarity can be switched individually see page 22). The same thing is true for analog operating level reference (+4 dBu or 10 dBV) it is switched globally for the entire system (line inputs and outputs) via SYSTEM SETUP/GLOBAL/SYSTEM ANALOG REFERENCE.

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Trak2 Liquid Crystal Display in Detail

The System Setup Menu

The SYSTEM SETUP page is the topmost page in the menu hierarchy (continuing to EXIT from other pages will always get back to this page). You can navigate to any of the various screens from this page. To enter any of the pages, highlight the selection using cursor keys and the press data wheel to select. System Setup Menu Selections: CLOCKING This will bring you to the Clocking Menu. This page will allow you to select the master clock for the system, sample rate, and the word clock type to be sent from the word clock output. MIC-PRE This will bring you to the Microphone Preamplifier Menu. This page will allow you to select the main or aux inputs, gain, 20 dB pad, Gain Ride Mode, high-pass filtering, phase inversion, phantom power, mute, and other advanced settings for the microphone preamplifier inputs. LINE IN This will bring you to the Returns Menu, which is the menu for the Line Level inputs on the back panel. In this menu you can activate the line level inputs, that is, place the unit into LINE INA/D mode (as opposed to MIC PREA/D mode). A/D This will bring you to the Analog to Digital Converter Menu where you can set digital level reference for the A/D, the analog input reference (10 dBV, +4dBu), calibrate the A/D line inputs, and more. D/A This will bring you to the Digital to Analog Converter Menu. This selection will only be valid if there is an optional two or eight channel DAC card installed in the system. DIGITAL I/O This will bring you to the Digital Input and Output Menu. Here you can select Digital Source (AMBus A or B), the format for the digital output (AES or S/PDIF), the digital source for DAC outputs 1/2, UV22HR settings, output resolution (24-, 20-, 16-bit), and can additionally navigate to a subsequent comprehensive routing matrix. METERING This will bring you to the Level Metering Menu which allows you to select meter mode (level or phase), which stereo pair the meters will monitor, peak hold length, over threshold, and many other features. HEADPHONE From this page you can set the stereo pair to monitor (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8) via the headphone, level, and headphone on/off. ASP This will bring you to the Analog Signal Processing page where you can select Soft Limit or Soft Saturate and adjust their threshold and intensity respectively. QUICK KEYS This takes you to Quick Key Definition page where you can define functions for the front panel Quick Keys such as muting, mic gain control selection, headphone level selection, etc. OSCILLATOR This brings you to the Oscillator page where you can select oscillator ON/OFF and the oscillator level. COM This menu controls the settings for the communications (COM) port on the rear panel, selecting between MIDI and RS232. A breakout cable is provided which includes connectors for both these formats. GLOBAL This will bring you to the Global Settings Menu, which contains settings for System Polarity, System Digital Reference Level (to calibrate the level of the A/D and D/A), System Analog Reference Level (+4dBu, -10 dBv), Link Pairs, and DC removal settings as well as System Calibration, Operating System Upgrade page, and a short-cut to the Load/Save page. LOAD/SAVE This will bring you to the Load/Save System Settings Menu, which allows you to load presets from or save to internal memory locations. STATUS This will bring you to the Active Status Display where the current configuration for the Trak2 is displayed. This includes mic and line input routing, gain, filtering, mic phase reversal, digital routing, and more.

The meters automatically enter CAL or meter zoom mode, and will indicate progress of the calibration process. Once this is completed, the Trak2s A/D is calibrated and ready to go, and the meters will return to their previous setting (wait until they do!). Remember that only the A/D converter is calibrated at this point the D/A converter can be calibrated in the D/A converter page (see below) or both the A/D and D/A can be calibrated at the same time in the GLOBAL SETTINGS page (SYSTEM-CAL).
The Advanced A/D Settings Menu
This menu allows you to trim the A/D level manually, rather than by using the automatic calibration features of the unit. Highlight the appropriate channel and turn the wheel until you have the setting you require. This essentially acts as a very fine manual gain control for the A/D inputs: turn the data wheel clockwise to increase the gain and counter-clockwise to reduce. Note that the actual value displayed is not in dB.
The Digital To Analog Converter Menu
Confidence Monitoring When an AMBus card is installed, this field allows you to listen to the returns of your recorder (or whatever is connected to the AMBus slot). This is ideal for overdubbing, particularly with Pro Tools. In fact, the equivalent of Confidence Monitor mode is what an 888-24 does all the time.

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Trak2 Users Guide To activate Confidence Monitoring: Highlight the CONFIDENCE MONITOR field. Press the data wheel to turn on Confidence Monitoring Turn Data Wheel to select the AMBus Card source to monitor. You will hear the return from the selected card.
In normal mode (Confidence Monitor OFF) the output of the D/A follows the matrix output. Thus the D/A will monitor the analog inputs directly, and they will appear according to the A/D REPLACES setting on the Routing menu (page 28). So if A/D REPLACES is set to 1/2, for example, you will hear the analog inputs on channels 1 and 2, and channels 3-8 from the digital source. However, with Confidence Monitor mode ON, the D/A is able to pick up all the channels from the AMBus source (ie eight channels if you have the 8-channel D/A card installed). So if you are sending the analog inputs to 1/2, they will be recorded by your digital system and you will hear them back via the system.
Confidence Monitor ON example 1
DAC Headphones/AES AMBus B

MATRIX

PRO TOOLS in AMBus A ADAT in AMBus B Trak2
Pro Tools (Destination) ADAT (Source) ADAT

PRO TOOLS

Mic/ Instrument
On DIGITAL IO screen, DIGITAL SOURCE: on DIGITAL TO ANALOG CONVERTER screen, CONFIDENCE MONITORING:

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Trak2 Users Guide nel DAC) so that the DAC can be manually calibrated. The Trak2s auto-calibration is very accurate so there is no need to further adjust the calibration once it has been auto-calibrated.
The Advanced D/A Settings Menu
This menu allows you to trim the D/A level manually, channel by channel, rather than by using the automatic calibration features of the unit. Highlight the appropriate channel and turn the wheel until you have the setting you require. This essentially acts as a very fine manual gain control for the D/A outputs. Note that the actual value displayed is not in dB. The number of channels available will vary according to the type of D/A card you have installed (the display for the 8-channel D/A is shown here). The manual trims can be used, for example, if you wish to calibrate the unit to a digital reference setting that is not available with auto-cal (say, 11 dBFs).

The Digital I/O Menu

Digital Source (DIG IN) Use this field to select AMBus A or AMBus B as the digital input source. The card will be identified and its type displayed in the field. Digital Out This field sets the digital output format for the AES-S/PDIF output on the back panel (XLR connector) to either AES/EBU or S/PDIF. Note that this only sets the output data format. The correct impedance and level are set using the internal jumpers described on page 17. AES-S/PDIF Output (AES O.P) The Trak2 has eight digital buses that are accessible via the AMBus slots. The AES O.P field allows you to route any of the four stereo pairs (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8) to the digital AES/SPDIF output on the back panel. The DAC Output Pair, AES Output Pair, Headphone Output Pair, and Metering Pair can be linked so that they follow each other, or act independently of each other. This preference is found on the Global Settings page under Link Pairs. It is set to 'ON' as default. UV22HR Level Select NORMAL for the majority of applications. If you know that you will running the same material multiple times through the UV22HR process, select LOW to optimize the processing of the signal. UV22HR Resolution This field allows selection of two different bit resolutions (16 or 20) using UV22HR word-length reduction technology. You can turn UV22HR on or off on a per-channel basis using the routing matrix (SYSTEM SETUP/DIGITAL IO/ROUTING). Routing This field takes you to the ROUTING page, which allows you to route any of the digital inputs and mic/line inputs to the digital and analog outputs (see below).

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The Oscillator Menu
Oscillator (ON/OFF) When turning on the oscillator, a 1 kHz sine wave is output via all of the Trak2s available outputs (standard AES/SPDIF out, AMBus, analog outs and the headphone output). This test tone can be used to calibrate the operating levels of other analog and digital equipment to an accurate, central reference. It is also handy for testing signal presence (or lack of it) throughout the studio (test bad cabling, equipment, etc.). Oscillator Level: Selects the level in dBFs of the oscillator test tone.
Com (Communications) Menu
This feature is not presently available.

The Global Settings Menu

System Polarity This field allows you to set the polarity of the line inputs and outputs to either pin 2- or pin 3-hot. Note that polarity is switched globally for both the line inputs and line outputs, e.g., it is impossible to select pin 2-hot for the line in and pin 3-hot for the line out (however, mic-pre polarity can be switched individually). The same thing is true for analog operating level reference (+4dBu/10 dBV) it is switched globally for the entire system (line inputs and outputs). Pin 2-hot is the standard in the international recording industry. Check all of your equipment and wiring to be sure that it is all polarity compatible. System Digital Reference This field is used to select a digital reference level to calibrate the analog levels of the A/D and D/A converters (i.e., the actual level that feeds the A/D converter chip and is output from the unit after the D/A converter chip). The gain of the line-level inputs and outputs can be set to different levels so that they are optimized for the particular task-at-hand. Using the common professional reference level of +4 dBu (which normally equates to 0 Vu on an analog console), the analog gain potentiometers can be turned up or down to match a certain digital level (in a range within 20 dBFs and 10 dBFs remember that 0 dBFs is the digital ceiling above which no audio can be recorded).

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Trak2 Users Guide When recording live tracks, for example, you often need more headroom (because live tracks usually are fairly unpredictable in terms of level you may be recording very low levels and very loud levels). For live tracking, you may want to calibrate the A/D converter to, say, -18 dBFs, so that you have 18 dB of headroom before hitting clipping. At mix down, on the other hand, levels are normally more controlled so you may want to record louder to tape (or disk). The converter, in this case, could be set to 14 dBFs. And, in mastering, where levels are usually well under control, the converter could be calibrated to 12 dBFs. These are only examples, there are certainly engineers that mix while calibrated to 12 dBFs to print the mix as loud as possible. Normally, the D/A is calibrated to match the A/D. This field can also be found in the GLOBAL SETTINGS page. For more information on how to calibrate your Trak2, see below. This field is also found in the Analog to Digital Converter Menu. System Analog Reference This field allows you to set the analog reference level to either the professional reference of +4 dBu or the consumer reference of 10 dBv. +4 dBu is usually used in professional audio equipment, including mixers, processors, and recorders. It is normally associated with XLR connectors. As with the Trak2, many devices allow changing the analog reference level. 10 dBv is typically associated with synthesizers, consumer electronics devices, and many recorders and DAWs. It is often carried on quarter inch and RCA-type connectors. It is customary to set all equipment that can be set, to the same analog reference level (normally +4 dBu). Because most synthesizers and other devices cannot be set to +4, the Trak2 allows level compatibility with these units.This field is also found in the Analog to Digital Converter Menu. Note that these are two different scales (dBu vs. dBv). The difference between the two in terms of level is that +4 dBu is 11.8 dB higher in level that 10 dBv. DC Removal Some digital recordings, particularly early ones, occasionally have a DC component recorded with the audio. If you subsequently edit such recordings, and you cut between a section with DC and one without or vice-versa, you may hear a click as the transition occurs. DC Removal takes away unwanted DC on a digital recording, and thereby solves this problem. Link Pairs The DAC Output Pair, AES/EBU-S/PDIF Output Pair, Headphone Output Pair, and Metering Pair can be linked (ON) so that they follow each other, or act independently of each other (OFF). This preference is set to ON as default.

The four boxes at the bottom of this screen are buttons, identifiable as such by a drop-shadow (note that the five fields above the buttons do not have drop-shadows). There are no selections to scroll through to activate the feature associated with each button, highlight the desired button and press the data wheel. System-Cal Highlighting and pressing the SYSTEM-CAL button engages the automatic calibration feature for both the A/D and D/A converters at the same time. To calibrate your Trak2, do the following: Apply a 1 kHz test tone at +4 dBu (from your console or other device) to the LINE inputs on the back panel. Set SYSTEM DIGITAL REFERENCE to the desired level (see above). Highlight SYSTEM-CAL and press the data wheel. Watch the progress of calibration on the meters. Your Trak2s line-level analog inputs and outputs are now accurately calibrated so that +4 dBu = the setting of SYSTEM DIGITAL REFERENCE in the digital domain.
OS Upgrade This button is used for future Operating System upgrades. OS upgrades are carried out via MIDI with the use of the Remote Control application see the next section for details.

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Trak2 Users Guide Load/Save This button takes you to the LOAD/SAVE SYSTEM SETTINGS screen where you can name, store, and recall your favorite Trak2 settings. To load stored settings or a preset, do the following: Highlight the LOAD/SAVE button and click the data wheel to enter the LOAD/SAVE page. Highlight the SLOT# field and select the desired saved preset using the data wheel. Highlight the LOAD button at the bottom and press the data wheel. The settings have now been recalled from the onboard memory. To store your settings to a memory location, do the following: Highlight the LOAD/SAVE button and click the data wheel to enter the LOAD/SAVE page. Highlight the SLOT# field and select the desired saved preset using the data wheel. Highlight the NAME field. Using the left and right CURSOR buttons and the data wheel, enter a name for the settings (e.g., Vocal Tracking 1, Mixing, etc) Highlight SAVE and press the data wheel. Your settings are now saved to the selected memory location.
Trak2 Remote Control Application
With the supplied Trak2 Option Cable and the Trak2 Remote Control application, its possible to perform several Trak2 operations from your computer. The functionality available may be divided into 3 general categories: Remote Control of Trak2 Parameters, Storing and Recalling Trak2 presets, and Updating the Trak2 Operating System. Setting Up the Trak2 for Remote Control On your computer: Download the Trak2 Remote Control application from the Apogee web site, and install it on your computer. You will find the application at: http://www.apogeedigital.com/downloads/Trak2Remote035.hqx Install Open Music System (OMS) software on your computer; once the Trak2 is connected and configured (see below), create a new Midi Device which corresponds to the Trak2. To control selected Trak2 parameters with Midi controller data, set the Trak2 to receive Midi data on channels 1 & 2 in OMSs Midi Device Info window.

UV22HR Process Application
UV22HR Encoding is best applied as the final step in the signal chain before the actual mastering device. For example, if you are mastering a conventional 16-bit CD, but you have the ability to employ higher-resolution devices earlier in the chain, you should keep your signal at the highest resolution possible until the creation of the final master tape, and at that point apply UV22HR to reduce the word-length from high-resolution to the final 16-bit for Compact Disc. If you are recording at high density (long word-lengths, and 88.2/96 kHz or higher sample rates) and need to generate a 44.1 kHz 16-bit CD master or a 48 kHz 20-bit DVD-Video master, first handle the sample rate conversion at the maximum word length available; then use UV22HR to reduce the word-length when you have a 44.1/48 kHz signal. Sample-rate conversion is a tricky business at best, and you need the maximum resolution available when you do it. This is why we do not provide UV22HR at high sample rates. Because of the addition of the UV22HR signal, we do not recommend that you use the UV22HR process more than once or twice on a signal. Multiple passes through the UV22HR process could degrade the noise floor of the system at the upper frequencies and produce artifacts. Recordings to be used in a sample or sound effects disc can be UV22HR encoded if pitch shifting is not likely to be employed, or if pitch shifting upward only is to be used. Pitch shifting downward on processed signals risks making the normally ultrasonic UV22HR energy concentration audible. You can use UV22HR in conjunction with a wide range of both lossy and lossless compression technologies used in DVD mastering, such as Dolby AC-3, DTS, and MLP (Meridian Lossless Packing). In addition, UV22HR is a very useful technique when used in conjunction with Internet audio delivery systems such as MP3 (MPEG1 Layer III), Real Audio, QuickTime and other systems, where the ability of UV22HR to maintain high-resolution quality and detail at the 16-bit level means smaller, better-sounding files and streaming audio signals, offering more effective use of available bandwidth.

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High-Density Conversion, Word Lengths and Interconnects
Despite the apparent proliferation of 96 kHz devices, and the apparent demand for them from end-users, it is only recently that there have emerged agreed standards for high density (ie 24 or more bit, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz and above) conversion. You can either use a single AES interface at double-speed (generally called singlewire or double-fast mode), or a pair of interfaces at normal speed (generally referred to as double-wire or double-wide). Both have advantages and disadvantages, and as a result their adoption in the industry is about 50/50, with a tendency towards single-wire in the most recent devices. Apogee originally chose double-wire AES interconnection for high-density converters, before a standard for single-wire existed. Now that a single-wire, double speed standard exists, we have made upgrades available for existing users and all new units offer this mode. Due to lack of available space, along with the tendency for newer equipment to support only single-wire mode, this is the only mode available on the Trak2 for AES/EBU and S/PDIF output at high sample rates. For most other digital interfaces at high speed, there is no standard. Most MDM interfaces are not designed to operate at double speed, and we dont support that mode of operation. At present, we do not support the use of UV22HR at high sample rates. The reason is simple: it is almost completely unnecessary. (If youre using the one machine we have ever heard of that records at 16-bit, 96 kHz, then Im afraid we cant help you.) In most cases you will want to use shorter word-lengths in conjunction with lower sample rates perhaps youll record at 24/88.2, but you want to get a CD master at the end of the day. Or you are recording at 24/96 for a 20-bit, 48kHz DVD-Video release. Do your sample rate conversion first. The longer you maintain the maximum word-length, the better it will sound. Apply UV22HR to the 24-bit signal at the final sample rate. Note that we are expecting to release a 2-channel sample-rate conversion card for the Trak2 that will enable conversion at the built-in 2-ch digital. We are aware of the fact that the DVD-Audio specification allows for different sample rates in the same family (44.1/88.2/176.4 kHz or 48/96/192 kHz) for different surround channels say 96 kHz for the front and 48 kHz for the rear and that in theory you can use different word lengths as well or instead, including 88.2 and 96 kHz at 16 or 20 bits. However, the general view at present is that longer word lengths are worth maintaining, even more than high sample rates. We are keeping a careful eye on developments in these areas and will review our design criteria in the light of industry requirements and developments. Check our Web site for the latest word: http://www.apogeedigital.com/

Glossary

ABS Apogee Bit-Splitting allows a 24-bit signal to be recorded to a normal 16-bit MDM such as an ADAT or DA-88 by using 2 tracks on the MDM for every 24-bit channel (for a maximum of four 24-bit tracks on the MDM). ABS 96 is a high resolution bit-splitting mode that allows a stereo 24-bit/96 kHz (or 88.2 kHz) signal to be recorded on to eight tracks of a normal 16-bit MDM. ADAT A product of the Alesis Corporation, the ADAT is an 8-channel Modular Digital Multitrack recorder that uses standard S-VHS tapes for recording, and fiber optic 8-channel digital I/O. The first and second generation were 16-bit recorders and, as of this writing, there exist a line of 20-bit recorders as well. AMBus Apogee Multimedia Bus is an 8-channel digital input/output expansion card architecture that allows interfacing to standard digital I/O formats available on the market including ADAT, TDIF, Pro Tools, AES/EBU, SDIF, SSL HiWay, and others. AMBus is available on the AD-8000 and Trak2. A/D The Analog to Digital converter is an integrated circuit chip that performs the actual voltage measurements of an incoming analog signal. It outputs these measurements in the form of binary numbers (for PCM systems) for recording and manipulation as digital data. Finished products that contain A/D converters and are used primarily for A/D conversion (such as the Apogee Rosetta) are also often called A/D converters for short.

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Trak2 Users Guide Calibration most often refers to accurately adjusting the analog input level to an A/D or output signal from a D/A converter by carefully turning a volume pot (the Trak2 has auto-calibration mode that does not require physical pots). Instead of setting volumes by ear, analog signals can be accurately set to reflect a reference digital level. For example, a +4dBu analog test signal can be set to equal a reference level of 16 dBFS in the digital domain. This allows the left and right mix levels on a console, for example, to be reflected correctly in the digital domain. Clock Often called a PLL or Phase Locked Loop, the clock is a circuit that provides an A/D converter chip a reference timing by which to take voltage measurements of the incoming analog signal (samples). It also extracts the sync component of an incoming digital signal (or word clock) and locks the system to that timing reference. Crystal A component of the overall clock circuit, the internal crystal oscillates at a fixed frequency to provide the A/D converter system a stable sync reference. Often called internal sync mode. DA-88 A product of the Tascam (TEAC) Corporation, the DA-88 is an 8-channel Modular Digital Multitrack recorder that uses standard Hi-8 tapes for recording, and proprietary 8-channel digital I/O, called TDIF, on a multi-pin connector. The DA-88, DA-98, and DA-38 are 16-bit recorders and, as of this writing, the DA-78 (and another one) are 24-bit recorders. DAW The Digital Audio Workstation is fast becoming the defacto standard recording system in modern studios. A DAW is based around a computer/software system that provides a user interface while audio is recorded on to fast hard disk drives. Examples of DAWs include the MOTU 2408, and Digidesigns Pro Tools and Digi001. There are also stand-alone DAWs, or Hard Disk Recorders, that do not require a computer system such as the Roland VS-880 and VS-1680. Digital Console A mixer that internally manipulates audio in the digital domain. D/A The Digital to Analog converter is an integrated circuit chip that reconstructs an analog audio signal from the digital data fed at its input. Finished products that contain D/A converter chips and are used primarily for D/A conversion (such as the Apogee DA-1000E-20) are also often called D/A converters for short. Dither A process by which specially-generated low-level noise is added to the audio stream when taking a digital audio signal from a higher resolution to a lower resolution, or when a digital signal processing operation is performed. Dither helps eliminate digital truncation distortion and extend dynamic range. There are several flavors of dither including flat dither, triangular dither, and Apogees unique UV22 bit-reduction process. MAS MOTU Audio System. See MOTU below. MDM stands for Modular Digital Multitrack and refers to a type of multitrack recorder (usually 8-track) that uses standard video tapes/transports. Several recorders can be ganged to form larger recorders. The most popular are the Alesis ADAT and the Tascam DTRS recorders (DA-88, DA-98, etc). MOTU Mark of the Unicorn makes digital audio workstations (DAWs) revolving around their popular Digital Performer recording and MIDI sequencing software. Their most popular system, the MOTU 2408, includes an interface, a PCI card, and software that work in conjunction with Apple Macintosh computers. Noise Floor usually refers to the lowest level before noise from circuitry significantly obstructs the audibility of the audio signal. In digital audio, the theoretical noise floor is a mathematical construct that is, when a signal is so low in amplitude that it cannot be represented by the Least Significant Bit (LSB). Note that digital devices also have an analog noise floor from the analog section before the A/D and after the D/A. Sometimes also called Dynamic Range. PLLPhase Lock Loop; see Clock above. Pro Tools Created by Digidesign, Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation used extensively in Music, Video and Film production and editing. Soft Limit A proprietary Apogee technology that rounds down transient spikes using a logarithmic compression scale to allow more level to be recorded without digital overs and without harsh artifacts. Soft Saturate Also a proprietary Apogee technology, Soft Saturate works similarly to Soft Limit but is more pronounced, emulating some of the compression and saturation characteristics of analog tape. Time Code Originally developed for video tape editing purposes, SMPTE/EBU time code allows different audio and video machines to synchronize to each other very accurately. Variations of time code include LTC (Longitudinal Time Code sometimes pronounced litsee), VITC (Vertical Interval Time Code pronounced vitsee), and MTC (MIDI Time Code pronounced mitsee).

Apogee AMbus Expansion Card Users Guide

V1.0 - March 2005

AMBus HD card Users Guide

APOGEE ELECTRONICS

Warnings
FCC warning This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to take whatever measures necessary to correct the interference at his own expense. Copyright Notice The Apogee AMBus HD card is a computer-based device, and as such contains and uses software in ROMs. This software, and all related documentation, including this Users Guide contain proprietary information which is protected by copyright laws. All rights are reserved. No part of the software and its related documentation may be copied, transferred, or modied. You may not modify, adapt, translate, lease, distribute, resell for prot or create derivative works based on the software and its related documentation or any part thereof without prior written consent from Apogee Electronics Corporation, U.S.A. Trademark Acknowledgements Digidesign, Pro Tools|HD, 192 I/O, SYNC I/O and digiLink are trademarks of Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. Prism is copyrighted by Prism Media Products Ltd.
Declarations of Conformity
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful inteference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: 1. Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna. 2. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. 3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a different circuit from that to which the receiver is connected. 4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. NOTE: The use of non-shielded cable with this equipment is prohibited. CAUTION: Changes or modications not expressly approved by the manufacturer responsible for compliance could void the users authority to operate the equipment. Apogee Electronics Corporation, 3145 Donald Douglas Loop South, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Betty Bennett, CEO.

Industry Canada Notice

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations. Cet appareil numrique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Rglement sur le matrial brouilleur du Canada.
Declaration of Conformity CE
Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the product, the AMBus HD card, to which this declaration relates, is in material conformity with the following standards or other normative documents: EN50081-1/EN55022; 1995 EN50082-1/IEC 801-2, 3, 4; 1992 following the provisions of: 73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive 89/336/EEC EMC Directive
Declaration of Conformity Japan

Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the AMBus HD card, to which this declaration relates, is in material conformity with the VCCI Class A standard.
Declaration of Conformity Australia
Apogee Electronics Corporation hereby declares that the AMBus HD card is in material conformity with AN/NZS standard requirements.
Registration and Warranty Information
Be sure to register your AMBus HD card, either by lling in the enclosed Registration Card or by completing the on-line registration form at our Web site: http://www.apogeedigital.com/support/. If you do so, Apogee can contact you with any update information. As enhancements and upgrades are developed, you will be contacted at the registration address. Firmware updates are free for the rst year of ownership unless otherwise stated. Please address any inquiries to your dealer or directly to Apogee at: APOGEE ELECTRONICS CORPORATION, 3145 Donald Douglas Loop South, Santa Monica, CA 90405, USA. TEL: (310) 915-1000, FAX: (310) 391-6262 email: support@apogeedigital.com. Web: http://www.apogeedigital.com/ APOGEE ELECTRONICS CORPORATION warrants this product to be free of defects in material and manufacture under normal use for a period of 12 months. The term of this warranty begins on the date of sale to the purchaser. Units returned for warranty repair to Apogee or an authorized Apogee warranty repair facility will be repaired or replaced at the manufacturers option, free of charge. ALL UNITS RETURNED TO APOGEE OR AN AUTHORIZED APOGEE REPAIR FACILITY MUST BE PREPAID, INSURED AND PROPERLY PACKAGED, PREFERABLY IN THEIR ORIGINAL BOX. Apogee reserves the right to change or improve design at any time without prior notication. Design changes are not implemented retroactively, and the incorporation of design changes into future units does not imply the availability of an upgrade to existing units. This warranty is void if Apogee determines, in its sole business judgment, the defect to be the result of abuse, neglect, alteration or attempted repair by unauthorized personnel. The warranties set forth above are in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied, and Apogee specically disclaims any and all implied warranty of merchantability or of tness for a particular purpose. The buyer acknowledges and agrees that in no event shall the company be held liable for any special, indirect, incidental or consequential damages, or for injury, loss or damage sustained by any person or property, that may result from this product failing to operate correctly at any time. USA: Some states do not allow for the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability for incidental or consequential damage, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specic legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to state.

Service Information

The AMBus HD card contains no user-serviceable components: refer to qualied service personnel for repair or upgrade. Your warranty will be voided if you tamper with the internal components. If you have any questions with regard to the above, please contact Apogee. In the event your AMBus HD card needs to be upgraded or repaired, it is necessary to contact Apogee prior to shipping, and a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number will be assigned. This number will serve as a reference for you and helps facilitate and expedite the return process. Apogee requires that shipments be prepaid and insured unless otherwise authorized in advance. IMPORTANT: ANY SHIPMENT THAT IS NOT PRE-PAID OR IS SENT WITHOUT AN RMA NUMBER WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

OWNERS RECORD

The serial number is located on the rear panel of the unit. We suggest you record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to it whenever you call an authorized Apogee Electronics repair facility or the manufacturer. Please be sure to return your completed warranty card immediately! AMBus HD card Serial No.________________________________________________ Purchase Date__________________________________________________________ Dealer_________________________________________________________________ Phone_________________________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________ CAUTION:
Any changes or modications not expressly approved by APOGEE ELECTRONICS CORPORATION could void your authority to operate this equipment under the FCC rules.
Please register this unit by lling in the included registration card, or registering online at http://www.apogeedigital.com/support/register.php Please read this manual if you call for technical support, well assume that you have. There will be a quiz.

Users Guide

Table of Contents
Introduction....2 Getting Started Quickly....2 Connecting AMBus HD equipped Apogee Interfaces..3 Incorporating a Sync I/O....4 Clock Congurations....4 Digilink Connections....5 Conguring Digidesign Pro Tools...6 Hardware Setup....6 I/O Setup....7 Interface Connections Chart: Standard Routing..8-12 Conguring the AMBus HD card....13 Installing the AMBus HD Card...14

Introduction

The Apogee AMBus HD expansion card allows Apogee hardware interfaces to connect directly to Digidesign HD Core, Process and Accel PCI cards directly, with no other hardware needed. Now you can add the quality of Apogees Trak2 and AD-8000 to your Digidesign Pro Tools HD system.

Getting Started Quickly

Install/Congure the AMBus HD card : If the AMBus HD card is not installed in your Apogee interface, please see pages 13-14 for installation instructions Determine proper order of interfaces : From the Interface Connections Chart on pages 13-14 , locate the entry that corresponds to the set of interfaces you wish to connect. This entry will indicate the proper order to connect Apogee, Digidesign and Prism hardware interfaces to one PCI card. When using Digidesign or Prism interfaces, please note that they must be connected rst in the Digilink chain. Connect Clock and DigiLink cables : Refer to page 3 to determine the correct clock conguration for the set of interfaces you wish to connect. Also indicated on this page is general information on connecting Digilink connections, once the proper order has been determined. Please note that the Primary Port on the AMBus HD card is the LEFT connector when looking from the back of the unit. Power On the Hardware Interfaces : Power on all connected interfaces, and ensure that all Apogee devices have a valid clock source and are locked. Congure HARDWARE SETUP : Boot up the computer and Pro Tools, select Setups>Hardware Setup in Pro Tools, and verify that interfaces are detected correctly as indicated in the Interface Connections Chart. Select each 192 I/O displayed under Peripherals and click the Set to Default button. See page 6 for more details. Congure I/O SETUP : In Pro Tools, select Setups>I/O Setup, In the I/O Setup page, select the Input, Output, and Insert selection one at a time and press the Default button after each selection. Next, refer to the Interface Connections Chart to determine the actual paths being used by the connected Apogee hardware. In order that I/O settings in the Pro Tools mixer are as clear as possible, delete unused paths and rename remaining paths to precisely indicate the hardware connection for example, AD-8000 A In 8, to indicate input channel 8 on the rst AD-8000. See page 7 for more details.

Connecting AMBus HD Equipped Apogee Interfaces

Clock Connections

Apogee has conducted considerable research on the clocking of digital systems, resulting in the development and production of our Big Ben Master Clock. With vanishingly low jitter and enough clock outputs to connect several slave interfaces directly to one master, Big Ben is always the best solution for clocking any digital system, including AMBus HD equipped Apogee interfaces.
Figure A. Optimum clocking conguration using BIG BEN
In lieu of Big Ben, we recommend connecting the master devices clock output to the slave devices using BNC T connectors as illustrated in the connection diagrams shown to the right. Terminate the last Word Clock input with a 75 ohm load
Figure B. Correct clocking conguration to the master devices clock output using BNC T connectors
We recommend against any clocking scheme where the clock output of one device is connected to the clock input of the next, that units clock output is connected to a thirds clock input, and so on. By thus reclocking at each interface, additional phase lock loops (PLLs) are introduced into the clock chain, resulting in the accumulation of jitter.
Figure C. NOT RECOMMENDED!

Incorporating a SYNC I/O

There are 3 conguration possibilities for incorporating a SYNC I/O into the HD system : using a Master Clock, SYNC I/O as master, and HD-equipped Apogee interface as master. Using a Master Clock Once again, the use of a Master Clock such as Big Ben greatly simplies clock conguration. Simply connect one of Big Bens outputs to a SYNC I/O clock input, and set the SYNC I/Os clock source to the appropriate setting. Be sure to set the Big Bens sample rate to correspond to the sample rate of the Pro Tools session. SYNC I/O as master In certain situations (for example, when locking Pro Tools to time code from an analog tape machine), the SYNC I/O must be the clock master. In this case, we highly recommend inserting a Big Ben Master Clock between the SYNC I/Os word clock output and the word clock inputs of the audio interfaces for jitter attenuation. HD-equipped Apogee interface as master, SYNC I/O slave Due to automatic switching of clock sources in Pro Tools, it is not practical to lock one of the connected audio interfaces internally while the SYNC I/O is locked to word clock. It IS possible, by using the SYNC I/Os Loop Sync In and setting the Apogee interfaces Word Clock Ratio setting so the sample rate of the interface is at the desired setting while the clock system runs at a 44.1/48k multiple.

Clock Conguration (when incorporating Digidesign or Prism HD Interfaces)
Again, making clock connections when incorporating a Digidesign or Prism interface is simplied by using a Master Clock, so direct connections may be made between the Master Clock and each interface. We know, were starting to repeat ourselves, but thats how useful a Master Clock is. If a Master Clock is not employed, keep in mind that the word clock input of Digidesign interfaces is internally terminated; thus its not possible to employ BNC Ts to distribute clock.

Digilink Connections

Like Digidesign interfaces, the AMBus HD card is equipped with two ports, Primary and Expansion. Please note that the Primary Port on the AMBus HD card is the LEFT connector when looking from the back of the unit.

this is the PRIMARY PORT

this is the EXPANSION PORT
The proper order to connect Apogee, Digidesign and Prism hardware interfaces may be determined by locating the entry on pages 13-14 that corresponds to the set of interfaces you wish to connect. When using Digidesign or Prism interfaces, please note that they must be connected rst in the Digilink chain. Connect a Digilink cable from the HD Core, Process or Accel card to the Primary port on interface #1, from interface #1s Expansion port to interface #2s Primary port, from interface #2s Expansion port to interface #3s primary port, and so on until all interfaces are connected. Use only 18 Digilink cables to make connections between hardware interfaces. After all clock and Digilink connections have been made, ensure that all devices are locked to a valid clock before booting the computer.
Conguring Digidesign Pro Tools

Hardware Setup

The Hardware Setup and I/O Setup dialogs are the two primary tools within Pro Tools software used to congure hardware. The Hardware Setup dialog serves to dene which physical I/O connections on detected hardware are routed to the 32 I/O busses available through each HD PCI card (on the DigiLink cable), while the I/O Setup dialog serves to label and map the manner in which these 32 busses appear in Pro Tools software.
As the audio I/O of Apogee interfaces differs from that of a 192 I/O, a connected Apogee interface will ignore all settings in the Hardware Setup which pertain to audio I/O on the hardware. To dene how audio I/O on an Apogee interface is routed to the 32 I/O busses (through the AMBus HD card), settings should be congured from the units front panel.

AMBus HD equipped Apogee Interface

Manual Set-up

3 In Pro Tools, select Setups>Hardware From the Peripherals list on the left side of the Hardware Setup dialog, verify that Apogee interfaces have been detected correctly (as indicated in the Interface Connections Chart found on pages 9-12). If all interfaces have been correctly detected, select each instance of 192 I/O displayed, and click on the Set to Default button.
Peripherals All Apogee interfaces are detected in the Peripheral list as 192 I/O, as indicated by the Interface Connections Chart on pages 9-12. Clock Source The Apogee interface connected directly to the HD Core card will respond to the Clock Source setting, when the Clock Source selection made in Pro Tools corresponds to a clock source setting on the Apogee interface. Sample Rate Before a Pro Tools session has been opened, it is possible to change the Sample Rate of the Apogee interface connected directly to the HD Core card if the interface is clocked internally or to a SYNC I/O. Once a session is opened, the sample rate of interfaces is determined by the session. Again, Apogee interfaces will follow session sample rates if the Core card interface is locked internally or to a SYNC I/O. When Apogee hardware is locked to an external clock source such as Big Ben, be sure to set the hardware clock rate to correspond to the session sample rate. Port Settings If this parameter is not greyed out, it must be set to Expansion I/O to detect multiple Apogee interfaces. Main tab These settings are ignored by Apogee interfaces, but it is essential that each buss (1-16) is set to a unique setting. This is most easily accomplished by following the steps above. Analog In, Analog Out, Digital tabs These settings are ignored by Apogee interfaces.

I/O Setup

Once Hardware Setup has been congured, select Setups>I/O Setup. Select the Input tab and press Default Select the Output tab and press Default Select the Insert tab and press Default
The steps above will create a set of signal paths based on the number of 192 I/Os detected in the Hardware Setup>Peripherals list. Refer to the Interface Connections Chart to determine the actual paths being used by the connected Apogee hardware, and rename them to more clearly reect the connected Apogee interface(s). Delete unused signal paths. For example, 1 Trak2 will be detected as I/O in the Hardware Setup>Peripherals list, resulting in paths A1-16 to be created in the Input, Output and Insert tab pages. On the Input page, re-label paths A1-8 as Trak2 In 1-8; On the Output page, re-label paths A1-8 as Trak2 Out 1-8; delete paths A9-16 on each page, as they are not active paths.

Interface Connections Chart: Standard Routing
(per Digidesign Core, Process or Accel card)
The following chart displays connection specics for all possible combinations of HD compatible interfaces that may be connected to one HD Core, Process or Accel PCI card. There is no limit to the number of PCI cards used beyond those limits imposed by the Digidesign system itself. In the leftmost column, a set of interfaces is depicted in the required order.

From Computer

The middle column indicates the manner that such a set should appear in the Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog; note that in many cases two Apogee interfaces will appear as only one 192 I/O. The third column indicates which of the 32 possible I/O busses (per HD PCI card) is in use. For example, three Rosetta 800s appear in the Hardware Setup as two 192 I/Os but only I/O channels 1-24 are used.

INPUT OUTPUT

ROSETTA 800 #1

ROSETTA 800 #2

ROSETTA 800 #3
NOTE TO AMBus HD CARD USERS
In the following connection charts a Rosetta 800 symbol : Represents a Trak2 or AD-8000 with an AMBus HD card installed Important Conguration Notes: Be sure to connect interfaces in the order indicated. With the AMBus HD card, the AD-8000 can interface directly with Pro Tools at sample rates up to 48k. The Trak2 can interface with Pro Tools at sample rates up to 96k. The Prism ADA-8 is equivalent to a Digidesign interface, and must be placed rst in the chain of interfaces. Later versions of DigiSetup include a hardware interface loop-through test. The following error message is encountered with Apogee interfaces : Peripheral Digital Loop Back Test; 1-16 failed. This does not affect correct operation of the interface.

INTERFACE SET

APPEARS AS. in Hardware Setup

CHANNELS IN USE

ROSETTA 800 (or Trak2 or AD-8000)

A1-16 INPUT OUTPUT

ROSETTA 800 #1 ROSETTA 800 #2

ROSETTA 800 #4

AD-16X & DA-16X A1-16

AD-16X #1

AD-16X #2

DA-16X #1

DA-16X #2

AD-16X & DA-16X continued

OUTPUT

AD-16X #2 DA-16X #2
AD-16X, DA-16X & ROSETTA 800 (or Trak2 or AD-8000)

OUTPUT A1-16

A1-16 INPUT
DA-16X #1 ROSETTA 800 #1 ROSETTA 800 #2
AD-16X, DA-16X & ROSETTA 800 (or Trak2 or AD-8000) continued B1-16
ROSETTA 800 (or Trak2 or AD-8000) and AD-16X & DA-16X

A1-16 B1-16

ROSETTA 800 (or Trak2 or AD-8000) and AD-16X & DA-16X continued
DIGI, AD-16X, DA-16X & ROSETTA 800 (or Trak2 or AD-8000)

DIGI 192 #1

Conguring the AMBus HD Card

P15 Jumper Settings

The AMBus HD card is shipped with Jumper P15 installed. This jumper insures that an AD-8000 connected rst in a series of interfaces will follow the sample rate set by Pro Tools. This function is useful if an AD-8000 will be master clock for the additional interfaces. In instances where an AD-8000 will be clocked via a master clock, the unit must be set manually to lock to WC. Additionally, the P15 jumper should be removed (see photo). Doing so tells the AD-8000 to ignore any sample rate information sent by Pro Tools. Note that the state of jumper P15 does not affect the behavior of a Trak2 equipped with an AMBus HD card.
Installing the AMBus HD Card
Your AMBus HD card should include the following: 1 AMBus HD card 1 users guide 3 Remove the plate cover of an available Ambus slot. Locate the card between the guides. Gently press on the back panel of the card until you feel it mate with the AMBus connector. Fasten the card in place with the included screws.
A NOTE ABOUT UPDATING THE AMBUS HD CARD Due to the space constraints associated with AMbus card slots, the MIDI connector necessary for performing rmware upgrades on the AMBus HD card was removed prior to shipping. Please contact Apogee in the event that you need to update your card. Additionally, do not forget to register your AMBus HD card so that you may be notied of any updates.
AMBus HD card USERS GUIDE - v1.0 - March 2005

Text conceived and delivered by: Roger Robindore Graphics and illustrations by: Sean McArthur