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1. Device Setup VST MultiTrack Then click the Control Panel button Creating a nickname for your device is entirely optional 31 32 3 Adjust latency by changing the buffer size Latency refers to the amount of time it takes for audio to get into and out of the computer In the best of all possible worlds there would be no such thing as latency we would hear audio the moment it was created However computers have limited processing power and they can choke cutting off recording or crashing programs if they are asked to handle too much data all at once To minimize this risk audio can be stored in a buffer for a certain amount of time This buffering helps smooth out the stream of data that the computer needs to handle In the end all of the audio is sorted out and played correctly but with a delay 7 T o counteract the delays you hear when you are monitoring incoming audio through the computer and your latency settings are Here are the basic considerations to consider when adjusting buffer sizes Lower buffer size less latency but higher risk of audio high turn off your DAW s problems input monitoring feature Use the included Alesis Higher buffer size more latency but lower risk of audio Hardware Direct Monitoring problems application instead Very high buffer size possible system instability For most systems there is a sweet spot where latency is not t
2. mme To Computer To Computer Note that you need a special insert cable to utilize this connection These cables have a 4 TRS connector on one end and two 1 2 TS connectors on the other end The TRS side goes into the insert jack on the IO 14 26 The two TS connectors are usually labeled send and return The send plug goes to your external device s input whereas the return plug connects to the device s output Send Connector To External Device s Input Insert Connector To Audio Interface i Return Connector From External Device s Output Additional Uses of Insert Jacks Inserts can be used in two additional ways that you may find useful They are as follows 1 Using the IO 14 26 as a preamplifier In certain situations you may want to use the IO 14 26 s preamps by themselves For example if you re recording a performance onto an external hardware recorder such as an Alesis HD24 but you need more preamplifiers you can use an insert s send cable to send your preamplified signal to the recorder and simply not use the return connection on the insert cable EEE Bypassing the IO 14 26 s preamplifier The IO 14 26 has excellent sounding preamplifiers built in but if you have a megabucks or vintage preamp that you want to use instead experime
3. This knob controls the amount of direct signal from the analog and digital inputs that gets blended in to outputs 1 2 This direct signal monitoring bypasses the computer for lag free listening while tracking The levels and pan positions of each of the direct signals is set using the Hardware Direct Monitoring program that ships with the IO 14 26 see page 35 for more about this program When this knob is turned fully counterclockwise the Hardware Direct Monitor mix is muted so you ll only hear the output being returned from your computer s Digital Audio Workstation When the knob is turned fully clockwise you ll hear the Hardware Direct Monitoring mix at full volume as well as the signal coming back from your DAW Metering Section 5 segment ladder meters show the precise digital input signal for each analog channel Status lights indicate Firewire connection to the computer current sample rate and ADAT input S PDIF input and MIDI activity Stereo output meters show the levels for outputs 1 2 Phones 1 amp 2 Volume The IO 14 26 has two separate headphone outputs These knobs let you set the volume for each output Main Level This knob sets the output level of channels 1 2 Mic Line or Phono Switch IO 26 only Turntables require special phono preamps that have higher gain and an RIAA equalization curve in order to playback records correctly If you want to connect a turntab
4. turned on Microphone is damaged Gain set too low Instrument volume is too low Instrument volume is too low Mic Line and Phono switch is set incorrectly this applies only to the IO 26 Make sure you are using balanced XLR or 1 4 TRS cables wherever possible Insert a ground lift switch into the offending cable s signal path Replace cable with a known good cable Turn on phantom power using the 48V switch on top panel of IO 14 26 Test the microphone on other audio devices If you detect damage contact the manufacturer or dealet Increase the gain for that channel Turn up the instrument s volume knob Turn up the instrument s volume knob Hook up your turntable to outputs 7 8 on your IO 26 and set the Mic Line or Phono switch to Phono LED input meters not working LED output meters not working Computer does not see the 10 14 26 Computer sees the 10 14 26 but no sound is received and or transmitted FireWire audio has crackling or glitches or audio plays records at incorrect pitch No power Input level too low Output level too low or muted Audio is not routed to the correct outputs in your audio software FireWire connection must be established between your computer and the IO 14 26 IO 14 26 is not set as primary sound device Buffer size is set too small Computer configuration may b
5. EXPRESS OR IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT AND SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR MERCHANTABILITY OR OTHER IMPLIED WARRANTIES Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts so the above limitation may not apply to you IN NO EVENT WILL ALESIS BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL CONSEQUENTIAL INDIRECT OR OTHER DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE BREACH OF ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY INCLUDING AMONG OTHER THINGS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY DAMAGE BASED ON INCONVENIENCE OR ON LOSS OF USE OF THE PRODUCT AND TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW DAMAGES FOR PERSONAL INJURY Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you THIS CONTRACT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WITHOUT REFERENCE TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other tights required by law which vary from state to state This warranty only applies to products sold to purchasers in the United States of America or Canada The terms of this warranty and any obligations of Alesis under this warranty shall apply only within the country of sale Without limiting the foregoing repairs under this warranty shall be made only by a duly authorized Alesis setvice representative in the country of sale For warranty information
6. MIDI Pool Transport Devices Window Help Cubase LE Project Untitled OI I Tl a TolVED SSIS 775 es A Audio 01 E 0001 01 01 0001 01 01 6 Choose an input for your track by selecting it from the in atea on the left To record stereo on the track click the button highlighted below Cubase LE File Edit Project Audio MIDI Pool Transport Devices Window Help Cubase LE Project Untitled CEAED PROG CEE NSN ts Es Later you can hide the Inspector if you want to save space on your screen 29 30 7 If you want to monitor your audio with Cubase s effects distortion reverb etc press the direct monitoring button next to the Record Enable button Cubase LE File Edt Project Audo MIDI Pool Transport Devices Window Help Cubase LE Project Untitled DEERED ROR CERNE t Audio 01 isj Rjw Using Cubase s direct monitoring requires the audio to make a round trip through the computer which causes a small but noticeable delay as the digital audio is processed To avoid any echo effects open the Alesis Hardware Direct Monitoring panel and mute the corresponding input This way you will only hear the signal with effects without also hearing the pure signal output from the IO 8 Add additional audio tracks as needed Record arm each one and press the RECORD button to begin recording For additional information consult Cubase s documentation Using
7. Usage Recording at high sample rates consumes hard disk space much more quickly than standard rates The following table describes sampling rate vs disk usage for a 60 second snippet of monophonic 1 track audio Length Bit Depth Sampling Rate Disk Usage 60 Seconds 24 bit 44 1k 7 9 MB 60 Seconds 24 bit 48k 8 6 MB 60 Seconds 24 bit 88 2k 15 9 MB 60 Seconds 24 bit 96k 17 3 MB 60 Seconds 24 bit 176 4k 31 8 MB 60 Seconds 24 bit 192k 34 6 MB You can see how this may become a problem on large musical projects For example whereas a 5 minute song with 16 channels of 24 bit audio would require up to 635MB to record at 44 1k the same song would need approximately 2 54 gigabytes of storage if you re recording at 176 4k Please note At quad sample rates 176 4k and 192k only inputs 1 4 of the IO 26 are operational We recommend that you take a look at your available hard disk resources when deciding which sampling rate to use You can use the following formula to estimate the total disk space required for a song Song length in seconds X Number of Channels X Sampling Rate X 3 So Our hypothetical 5 minute song would be calculated in the following way 300 sec x 16 channels x 44 100 x 3 635 040 000 byes about 635 MB That same song recorded at 176 4k would be 300 sec x 16 channels x 176 400 x 3 2 540 160 000 bytes or 2 54 GB 47 48 Geek talk Why do we multiply by 3 We have to multiply our disk
8. as default hdm and they will be recalled every time that the panel is opened Save setups that you want to recall for specific sessions under some other name 13 Device Configuration Control Panel shortcut Click Device Configuration to go immediately to the 1014 26 Control Panel where you can set the sample rate clock master device nickname etc 14 Headphones 2 Assignment The first set of headphones always follows the Out 1 2 mix The second pair of headphones is freely assignable to follow any of the analog output pairs 15 S PDIF output assignment The S PDIF digital output like the second headphones output can be assigned to follow any output pair For the 10 26 these output pairs all correspond to physical line level outs They all exist in hardware While the IO 14 only has one stereo pair of line level outputs the IO 14 reports these additional output pairs to your Digital Audio Workstation These additional pairs allow you to make headphone 2 and S PDIF assignments to more than just the built in stereo output This virtual routing providesIO 14 owners with much of the power of its big brother the IO 26 The S PDIF output mirrors the volume of the analog 1 2 outputs Changes made to the main volume encoder on the front of the unit and changes made to the 4 10 output level switches on the Hardware Direct Monitoring application will change the level of the S PDIF output G
9. describe an audio signal free of effects The opposite of wet A common type of microphone that does not require external power Dynamic microphones are generally cheaper and more durable than condenser mictophones but don t reproduce sound as well A unit whose purpose is to provide effects for audio signals Some common effects include reverb chorus flange and delay Effects processors come in many shapes and sizes from small pedals up to 19 rackmount units The part of your mixer or other device that manipulates an audio signal by lowering the level of some frequencies and or increasing the levels of others EQ is used to fine tune a signal s highs and lows 63 fader Firewire gain IEEE 1394a insert latency level master section mic preamp mixer mono monautal pan phantom power return A device that allows you to control the level of an audio signal by sliding the fader up and down a straight path Each input on the IO 14 26 has its own fader in the Zero Latency Monitoring application A standard for connecting external devices to a computer Also called IEEE 1394a The measure of extra amplification applied to an audio signal Each analog input on your IO 14 26 has its own gain knob which can be used for boosting mic and line signals Another name for Firewire A special access point found in mixers and some audio interfaces that allows you to place an audio devic
10. in all other countries please refer to your local distributor 67 68 Alesis Contact Information Alesis Distribution LLC Los Angeles CA USA E mail support alesis com Web site http www alesis com 10 14 10 26 FireWire Audio Interface Reference Manual Revision C by Leo Der Stepanian and Fred Morgenstern Copyright 2006 Alesis Distribution LLC All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited IO 14 and IO 26 are trademarks of Alesis LLC Specifications subject to change without notice Trademarks All trademarks are the property of their respective owners Specifically Windows and Windows XP are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation ASIO and Cubase are trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH Sonar is a trademark of Twelve Tone Systems Inc Apple Mac OS X and CoreAudio are trademarks of Apple Computer 7 51 0214 C 03 2007 7 51 0214 C
11. power IO 14 26 Main Output level set too low Speakers or amplifier is turned off or down Headphone level is too low Solution Plug in power adapter or FireWire cable If using FireWire bus power be sure that your computer s FireWire port can provide power to the 10 14 26 Raise the MAIN LEVEL knob Turn speakers or amplifiers on of up Turn up the PHONES knob for your headphone output Audio signal is distorted Cables not hooked up properly Bad cable s Channel input gain is too high Output levels are too high 10 4 input switch set incorrectly Sound source is too loud Check outputs to make sure cables are plugged in correctly and securely Check all cables substitute cables with known good ones Turn down the input gain knob for the distorting channel use the LED meters to locate channels that are distorting Turn down your audio software s output level Be sure that the 10 4 input switch for each input is set correctly in the IO 14 26 s control panel Turn down the output level of the sound source If you are using a microphone with a volume pad engage the pad switch 53 54 Audio signal carries an unwanted hum Microphone level is too low No or low sound from a channel input Turntable input is too low in level and or lacks bass Not using balanced cables Improper grounding Damaged cable Phantom power is not
12. the Control Panel Working with the 1014 26 control panel Accessing the control panel In Windows open the control panel from the shortcut on your desktop the Programs menu or from within your audio application On the Mac access this panel from the configure device button of Audio MIDI Setup A Alesis 1394 Control Panel 1394 Audio Device Selected Device iO 26 OO7FFFFF Set Device Nickname Buffer Size Buffer Size Buffer Size 768 hd 17 41 mS in Samples inMilliseconds Buffer Modes Sample Rate Locking Normal C Allow SR changes C Fast Allow ASIO changes only High Performance Apps cannot change SR WDM Audio WDM Audio Enabled C WDM Audio Disabled x Set Master Device Clock Master iO 26 OO7FFFFF Current Clock Master iO 26 007fffFFF Audio Clock Source INTERNAL Sample Rate 44 1 kHz Ver 1 0 0 10 1 Select the Alesis IO Be sure that your 1014 26 is shown here If it is not shown then your computer does not see it Check the IO s connections to your computer 2 Create a nickname for your IO 14 26 optional You can change the name of the IO 14 26 as it s seen by the recording program Once this is done choose Reset All in Cubase or the equivalent command in other programs to update the display of the device and channel names To open the control panel from within Cubase in Windows select Devices
13. the io open the Alesis Hardware Direct Monitoring and Routing panel by clicking on the shortcut on your desktop 18an soan 28an 2545 240 59d 59AN 174D 5941 1645 3245 32452545596 64B 50 38493441 2341 5940 59455941 seg maios maios maios maies maios maios maios IDAT apr ipar hoar hoar inat ioar D r imar ipar paz por ior 35 36 1 Output Monitor Tabs Use these tabs to select the output pairs to which you will blend in the incoming signal Each tab s HDM mix is completely separate from the others Setting up direct monitor mixes for single musicians and for multiple musicians Most commonly you ll have a stereo set of speakers attached to outputs 1 2 This is the output pair to use for your Digital Audio Workstation s stereo outputs If you are recording a single musician connect your inputs and then select the tab for outputs 1 2 Now you can easily blend in the musician s direct audio with the music coming back from the Digital Audio Workstation When you are recording multiple musicians each of whom desires a different monitor mix use these tabs to create a separate monitor mix for each output pair Experiment with creating multiple mixes doing so puts no strain on your computer 2 Pan Mute Solo Set the left right pan position of the audio here Also you can solo and mute individual channels Using the S it key click the pan knob to return it to center Also hold down Shit
14. while clicking to mute or solo or un mute or un solo all of the inputs at one time 3 Volume Set the volume using this slider 4 Stereo Channel Linking and Unlinking Use this button to link or unlink the controls for stereo channel pairs 5 Channel Names Just like the output tabs the incoming audio channels can be re named Words like vox and snare probably have more value than Analog1 and ADAT12 The names you provide carry over to all of the tabs 6 Master HDM Mix Fader This is the master fader for the Direct Monitor mix for this output pair Bringing this fader up or down affects all the channels being monitored using HDM but does not affect the audio coming back from the computer Once you have set your balances for multiple instruments using the individual slider this control allows you to bring your whole mix into balance with the audio from your Digital Audio Workstation Re naming the tabs You can re name each of these tabs by double clicking on them and entering your new name Names like Singer and Drummer can be a lot more helpful than Out 3 4 Note that the names you type will not alter the physical routing taking place in the IO14 26 At 176 4k and 192k sample rates hardware direct monitor mixes can only be heard on outputs 1 4 Audio will play back from the computer as normal on all the channels but the analog and digital inputs cannot be monitor
15. you ll see a glossary of common terms and a page about the IO 14 26 s warranty Helpful tips and advice are highlighted in a shaded box like this When something important appears in the manual an exclamation mark like the one shown at left will appear with some explanatory text This symbol indicates that this information is vital when operating the IO 14 and IO 16 interfaces This page intentionally left blank Hardware Overview Section Identification Top Panel Here s what you ll find on the top of your IO 14 26 The combo jack inputs The XLR input expects to see a microphone and delivers between 6 8dB and 50dB of gain depending on the position of the gain knob 1 Inputs The IO 14 26 features combo connectors that The 4 input expects to allow you to connect either XLR or 1 2 cables to the inputs eis P see either a line input or an For the IO s inputs use one of three different cable types electric gu nar or bass depending on the setting of XLR plug TRS plug TS Plug the Mic Line Guitar switch In the Line position the input 2 provides between 15 4dB and 27 8dB of gain This allows plenty of gain for weak line level sources and also provides the ability to pad down overly powerful Use XLR cables to connect to standard microphones For 1 connections to balanced gear like most keyboards line source
16. A Sound recording A Default device G SoundMAX Digital Audio SoundMAX MIDI music playback ie Default device 2 Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth C Use only default devices 17 18 4 Click the Voice tab Change the voice playback and voice recording settings to the IO 14 26 Sounds and Audio Devices Properties Volume Sounds Audio Voice Hardware These settings control volume and advanced options for the voice playback or recording device you selected Voice playback J Default device Z alesis1394 WDM Audio z lt Voice recording Default device R SoundMAX Digital Audio SoundMaAx Digital Audio Alesis1394 WDM Audio Test hardware 0K Cancel Apply 5 Click Apply to apply these changes Disable Windows System Sounds Windows System Sounds the sounds that Windows plays to signal starting up shutting down alerts and so forth can interfere with your audio recording We strongly suggest that you disable these sounds 1 Click the Sounds tab of Sounds and Audio Devices 2 Under Sound Scheme choose No sounds Sounds and Audio Devices Properties AE Volume CC Sounds gt Audio Voice Hardware A sound scheme is a set of sounds applied to events in Windows and programs You can select an existing scheme or save one you have modified Sound scheme N
17. Codecs System devices 2 Universal Serial Bus controllers s No connection If Alesis 1394 does not appear Windows does not see the interface as being connected to the computer 1 Check your Firewire cable and try powering the mixer off and on again 2 Expand the IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers section Check that your Firewire card is listed as properly working 3 As a last resort power your computer off and on Faulty connection If Alesis 1394 appears but there is a yellow question mark or exclamation point next to it the drivers are improperly installed Right click on the Alesis 1394 listing and choose Uninstall and uninstall the device The next time you connect the 1014 26 to your computer you will need to re install the drivers again Audio playback or recording is at the wrong speed Adjust the buffers in the ASIO control panel or through your WDM application s audio setup options It is impossible to say which buffer settings are perfect for each system but generally buffer sizes around the middle or low middle of the available range provide the best results When restarting your computer turn it off all the way Pull out the AC power cord keep it out for a few seconds and then plug it back in again before you restart your computer This ensures that your computer s motherboard and PCI cards including your FireWire card are properly reinitializ
18. DM Mix Fader P 7 Narrow Wide View Switch ATEO EAU A 37 9e Metering Optoms eeii ira E e e R e a Ea a iia syi 9 Bank Hide Show buttons 37 10 ADAT S PDIF Toggle 11 Main Level 37 12 Save Recall Settings 38 14 Headphones 2 Assignment 38 15 S PDIF outputassigamentsrissiiniiin 38 Chapter 7 Getting In Deeper FLATOW ALEC iiionisvecesreierisinnsinarsdcieen noo Cabling 101 Common Hookup Scenarios 2 Singer s Songwriter i NEA AEE TEE Foll Stdio Se taaps ii sccct asiovscvssadeopissvesdeceasantioteavctecccsdapuguastedenscest ivenseieendiess Using the Insert Jacks Additional Uses of Insert Jacks c ceceeseesessseeseesesesseesesssessessnesseeseesee 43 Chapter 8 Getting In Deeper Rec rdint ocarina se tero esi a n 4 Watch Your Levels While Recording ccseseseseeees 45 Base Sample Rates 44 1 88 2 ss sccccccsssssssereececsssssseces 46 176 4kHz versus 48 96 192kHz 10046 High Resolution Recording 46 The Upside of High Definition recording 46 The Downsides of High Definition Recording 47 Surround Sound TO 26 only cccccccsssssscercececessssseeees 49 Using the 1014 26 with Sonar and other WDM appliGati Ons iiiscsicis ccscsscsscesvsdeessssseescesectvessiasesscevesens 50 WDM Of ASIO ainan nnn aea Choosing the 1014 26 as your audio device 50 Chapter 9 Troubleshooting eeeeeeseeee D2 Computer or audio application does
19. IO 14 26 is selected as the audio device Different versions of Cubase individual channels must be activated for use Again return function similarly but not to the Devices menu and select VST inputs exactly to the examples shown here Cubase LE DER File Edit Project Audio MIDI Pool Transport eevee Window Help Generic Remote MIDI Device Manager Mixer F3 Plug in Information puts FS VST Instruments VST Master Effects YST Outputs VST Performance VST Send Effects Video Show Panel Device Setup 0001 01 01 000 f 0001 01 01 000 R 0001 01 01 000 fol ToT hint gt gt poy Of DT Oo 6 Click the activation buttons for channel pairs that you want to use VST Inputs Some versions of Cubase including Cubase LE do not allow all of the physical inputs to be used simultaneously 25 26 In Cubase you can rename channels by clicking in the Label area This is useful if for instance your lead vocals ate always on channel 1 your bass drum is always on channel 2 etc Creating a new file Now you re ready to create an audio project 1 Choose File New Project Cubase LE DER Print Import Export Cleanup Preferences Key Commands Recent Projects Ctri Q 2 You can begin with a template or an empty file For now begin with an empty file New Project Empty 16 Track MIDI Sequenzer 24 Track A
20. The sample rate is the number of time slices captured in one second 44 1kHz 44 100 samples per second is the standard used for Compact Disc audio 48kHz 48 000 samples per second is commonly used for film and video A line output whose function is to send a signal from the mixer to an external device usually an effects processor Like returns sends are used in conjunction with insert cables Refers to an audio signal that has two channels Refers to the setting of an audio channel at which the signal leaves the channel at the same level at which it entered Unity gain is marked by a 0 on the MultiMix s faders The Windows Driver Model This is the default standard by which Microsoft Windows communicates with audio devices An audio signal that has had effects or other manipulations applied The opposite of dry 65 66 This page intentionally left blank Warranty Contact Alesis Limited Warranty ALESIS CORPORATION ALESIS warrants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of one 1 year for parts and for a period of g one 1 year for labor from he drof original retail needki aai For mare effective enforceable only by the original retail purchaser and cannot be transferred or assigned service and product For the most effective service the purchaser should register the purchase on the i ALESIS website at http said bey eps sane update POUE please During the warranty peri
21. a microphone or a line level instrument keyboard sampler DJ mixer etc then set this switch to Mic Line If you re recording a guitar or bass with passive standard pickups set this input to Guitar Gain Knobs These knobs let you set the preamplifier gain level Set the gain with the aid of the meters on the front of the 1014 26 Start with the gain knob turned all the way down counterclockwise then slowly turn up the gain until the green LEDs are often illuminated and the yellow LED only illuminates when you play your loudest notes At this point If the red LED is lighting up even occasionally it means the gain is set too high and that you re distorting your signal Turn the gain knob back down as necessary in order to avoid this distortion It s OK to set your gain levels conservatively with the IO 14 and IO 26 These interfaces feature outstanding analog to digital converters and preamplifiers allowing you to capture excellent recordings even if your signals peak at 9dB or even lower Analog and digital distortion are totally unrelated phenomena Whereas certain kinds of analog distortion from guitar amplifiers stomp boxes etc can sound pleasing digital distortion sounds awful If your IO 14 26 s meters are going into the red even every once in a while it means you re digitally distorting your signal Turn down the channel gain in these cases 10 Monitor Blend Knob
22. cond 6 8dB to 50dB 1 2kOhm 15 4dB to 27 8dB 16kOhm 6 8dB to 50dB 1 MegaOhm Turntable Input IO 26 only Sample rates Frequency response Dynamic Range Signal to noise ratio THD N Crosstalk Impedance Line Level Outputs Sample rates Level Frequency response Dynamic range Signal to noise ratio THD N Crosstalk 44 1kHz 48kHz 88 2kHz 96kHz 176 4kHz 192kHz 1dB from published RIAA curve 95dB A weighted 95dB A weighted lt 0 05 100dB 1 kHz 47Kohm 44 1kHz 48kHz 88 2kHz 96kHz 176 4kHz 192kHz 10dBv 4dBu nominal switchable 19dBu maximum 0 075 from 20Hz to 22kHz 108dB A weighted 108dB A weighted 0 0011 0 0017 1KHz 18 19dBU 105dB 1 kHz Output impedance Headphone Outputs Frequency response Power 32 Ohms Gain range THD N Signal to noise ratio Output impedance Load impedance range 220 Ohm 0 1 dB 22Hz to 22kHz 50mW 20dB lt 0 05 100 dB A weighted 32 Ohm 32 to 600 Ohms S PDIF and ADAT digital inputs Bit depth Sample rates Dimensions 24 bit 44 1kHz 48kHz 88 2kHz 96kHz WxDxH Without packaging or power adapter 10 14 10 26 7 9375 x 8 0 x 2 875 202mm x 203mm x 73mm 3 5lbs 1 6kg 12 1875 x 8 0 x 2 875 310mm x 203mm x 73mm 5 0lbs 2 3kg 61 62 Glossary Here are the definitions to some terms you ll probably encounter while using
23. d the clock signal coming from the other device over the Firewire cable Your IO 14 26 includes a state of the art clock recovery circuit that generally eliminates clocking induced glitch artifacts even when clock sources are incorrectly assigned Nevertheless do take care to assign the clock source correctly Otherwise sample accuracy is likely to suffer 9 Set the sample rate Set the sample rate here Note that this setting must be made even if you are using an external device ADAT S PDIF or Firewire as your clock master Some audio programs require that you change the sample rate under their Project Setup or similar menus as well For instance in Cubase be sure that the sample rate selected here matches that under the Project Project Setup menu When you use two or three digital input sources lock the devices together Most commonly you will use the devices BNC Word Clock connectors for this purpose Start with one device and cable its Word Clock Output to the Word Clock Input of the second device If you have a third device connect the second device s Word Clock Output to the third device s Word Clock Input For each device if there is a master slave setting be sure to set it appropriately Only the first device in the chain should be the master There are other ways to lock your clocks together such as using a dedicated clock distribution hardware device H
24. e such as a compressor in the signal path Inserts are placed after the preamplifier and before the remaining electronics in your signal path They require special insert cables The time it takes for audio to travel from the IO 14 26 through the computer s recording program and out again to your speakers or heaphones Latency is measured in either samples or milliseconds The amount of power driving an audio signal The most common names given to levels of varying voltage are from lowest to highest microphone level instrument level and line level The section of a mixer where the main mix is controlled An amplifier that boosts a microphone or instrument level signal up to line level A device whose purpose is to combine and output a number of audio signals allowing various types of signal manipulation Refers to an audio signal that has only one channel The opposite of stereo A control that lets you position a mono signal within the stereo spectrum by altering the level of the signal being sent to the left channel as opposed to the right A way of providing power to condenser microphones Also known as 48volt power A line input whose function is to carry back to the mixer an audio signal that has been sent from the mixer Returns are used in conjunction with insert points sample rate send stereo unity gain WDM wet Digital audio is chopped up into tiny time slices
25. e 23 Creating a New file scccccsssssosssssccsssessssssscesescesssssneceseess 27 Chapter 5 Using the Control Panel 31 Working with the 1014 26 control panel 000 31 Accessing the control panel sesal Te Selectthe Alesis TOn iaia anA a RAER oll 2 Create a nickname for your IO 14 26 optional aal 3 Adjust latency by changing the buffer size ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssesssss 32 4 Choose a Buffer Mode ssscclcateissaisccccssssssesericoscestsosiorsedscscasohsobssnsstessens 32 5 Specify how sample rates can change Kayo 6 Enable or Disable WDM audio 0 res Windows only sssssssssssssssssereeessssssssseseeee wee 33 7 Set the clock mastet wee eG 8 Specify the audio clock source end 9 Set the sam plesratesssevssecceteacesesstsstecaadeaesusueasenced oes seesesecatebe ges oneenesbe 34 Chapter 6 Hardware Direct MONICOFIN Terseras nnan D The Alesis Hardware Direct Monitoring and Routing Application cccccsssssssescccscesssssseccccecsssssseeeee 35 Using the Hardware Direct Monitoring HDM patriel in i 55 0 lt i centan seas cad sdsecevsacsssososnea cia cssecssesseaacaveees 35 1 Output Monitor Labs aossen niai Ea rrea eE NEEE 36 2 Pan Mute Sol On E A AEA O OORA 36 3 MONG niis a ETER 36 4 Stereo Channel Linking and Unlinking sss ssssssssssssrrrssssssssssssssrreessss 36 5 Ghannel Namesninar e aora aN aR EA 36 6 Master H
26. e Direct Monitoring Panel also allows you to change Headphone2 and S PDIF output assignments Install Cubase LE optional If you are interested in using Cubase LE as your multitrack Digital Audio Workstation install it from the CD now Connect your IO 14 26 Now connect your IO 14 26 to your computer using a Firewire cable Watch for one of the lights on the unit to turn on within a few seconds If a light does not turn on plug in the external AC adapter Important If you experience problems when using a 4 pin Firewire cable small connector to connect the interface to your laptop computer we recommend that you either switch to higher quality cables or install a six pin PC card adapter into the notebook If you have access to the Internet check http www alesis com for the very latest software updates The updates posted there are guaranteed to be the most current best software versions available Mac OS X 10 4 or later is required Your CoreAudio application may describe the IO 14 26 channels simply as 1 2 3 4 etc Note that if you are using an IO 14 the S PDIF channels will not appear at the end of the channel list but rather at an earlier position 21 22 Make IO 14 26 the active audio device Open Audio MIDI Setup and choose your IO 14 26 for both your inputs and outputs Getting Started with Cubase LE Introducing Cubase LE Your IO 14 26 ships with Cubase LE a powerful audi
27. e incompatible with FireWire audio Defective power supply or FireWire cable FireWire cable does not carry power Turn up the GAIN knob or the output level of your instrument Un mute and or turn up the output level of your audio software Make sure your audio software is routing your signal to the correct outputs Unplug the FireWire and power cables from your IO 14 26 Reconnect the FireWire and power cables If this does not work leave the IO 14 26 on and power cycle your computer Do not use restart but instead actually turn off the computer and then turn it on again Windows in the computet s Control Panel go to the Sounds Multimedia area In the Audio section set the default sound recording and playback devices to the IO 14 26 Mac perform a similar operation under Audio MIDI Setup Increase the buffer size in the IO 14 26 control panel Certain FireWire chipsets have design limitations or IRQ assignment restrictions that must be resolved before audio can work correctly on them See your FireWire chipset documentation for further information if required Replace power supply only use Alesis tecommended AC output power supply If you are powering your IO 14 26 through the FireWire 55 56 cable you need to make sure you re using a 6 pin FireWire cable that can carry power The mini 4 pin connector found on most Windows notebook computers is not capable of
28. ed Audio playback or recording stutters or drops out Again work with the buffer settings in the ASIO control panel or through your WDM application s audio setup options in order to find the most reliable setting Many audio applications include advanced setting dialog boxes where pre fetch and other parameters can be set Explore those options Audio echoes during recording This is probably happening because your delayed signal the signal that passes through your computet s audio application back out to your speakers is mixing with your hardware direct monitoring mix To resolve this problem either disable your audio software s input monitor option or if you want to monitor through your software mute the appropriate input channel s on the Alesis Hardware Direct Monitoring application For more information on the HDM application see page 35 Problems with notebook computer audio recording Notebook computer recording problems hum dropouts etc can generally be diagnosed and solved in one of the following ways 1 The power from your notebook computer may be marginally insufficient to guarantee stable performance Use the included AC adapter whenever you connect your IO 14 26 to a notebook computer or small form factor computer such as a Mac Mini computer or a computer built around a microATX motherboard 2 The notebook computer may be introducing a ground loop problem To test for t
29. ed on outputs 5 8 If you hear the input signal twice with a short delay between each instance then you are most likely monitoring through both the HDM panel and also your DAW software Either turn off input monitoring on your DAW or mute the corresponding input on the HDM panel For outputs 1 and 2 the MIX BLEND knob on the front panel of the hardware can also be used to control this slider 7 Narrow Wide View Switch You can switch between Narrow and Wide views of the HDM panel Note that the Input Monitor tab is always in Narrow mode 8 Metering Options Choose from a number of different metering options here Meter Scale Under Meter Scale choose High Medium or Safe These options change the thresholds at which the meters change to yellow and then to red WHATEVER SETTING YOU CHOOSE THE ACTUAL AUDIO BEING RECORDED IS UNTOUCHED Rather these modes can help keep you from recording too hot resulting in digital overs Peak Hold time Set how long the highest peak of the incoming audio should be displayed Peak Reset Click this button at any time to reset the peak levels of the meters 9 Bank Hide Show buttons In Wide mode not all channels are visible at once If you are not using some of your channels choose to hide them Note that these buttons are grayed out in Narrow mode 10 ADAT S PDIF Toggle The HDM mixer can mix 24 inputs At 44 1kH
30. efore you begin working High Resolution Recording The Upside of High Definition recording Recording at high definitions i e anything at 88 2k or above means you re capturing sound at well beyond the range of human hearing Doing so has three sonic advantages 1 At the Hardware Level All analog to digital converters need to heavily filter your signal s highest frequencies to prevent a nasty form of distortion called aliasing from taking place Only sounds above the sampling limit are removed but the filter itself causes unwanted phase shifts that some critical listeners can hear mind you these are quite subtle changes in your audio When you re recording in HD the anti aliasing filter is much more gradual and set at a very high frequency well over the upper limit of human hearing This all but eliminates any of the phase distortion that you may have heard 2 At the Software Level Since software plugins such as equalizers and compressors have more sample data to work with carefully programmed plugins can sound better 3 Archiving If you re capturing a special recording that may have some historical value in the future it makes sense to capture it with the highest level of technical accuracy Alesis has designed your 1014 26 to sound excellent at all sample rates Decide for yourself if the benefits and tradeoffs are worth it for a particular session The Downsides of High Definition Recording 1 Disk
31. emote _ Computer Name Hardware ll Advanced General Computer Name Advanced System Device Manager Microsoft Windows XP ot Adevices installed Professional gefour computer Use the Device Managggto change the L Spy Version 2002 properties of any device Mi Par a Registered to es Drivers FE Driver Signing lets you make sure that installed drivers are A compatible with Windows Windows Update lets you set up how Windows connects to Windows Update for drivers Computer Driver Signing windows Update InteR Pentium R 4 CPU 2 60GHz Hardware Profiles 2 59 GHz 512 MB of RAM 5 Hardware profiles provide a way for you to set up and store different hardware configurations Hardware Profiles 58 4 Finally expand the Sound video and game controllers section An Alesis 1394 entry should appear Device Manager File Action View Help mga Computer lt Disk drives Display adapters d DVD CD ROM drives Floppy disk controllers Floppy disk drives l Human Interface Devices IDE ATAJATAPI controllers 4 lt p IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers gt Keyboards Y Mice and other pointing devices a Monitors E Network adapters 1 Y Ports COM amp LPT SR Processors Soypd game controllers Alesis 1394 Oweii ce Legacy Audio Drivers Legacy Video Capture Devices Media Control Devices SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio Video
32. er to bypass the computer s power supply 13 14 This page intentionally left blank Installation Windows Important Download and install the drivers from http www alesis com or insert the software CD into your computer s CD drive BEFORE you plug your IO 14 26 into your computer for the first time Install the software drivers first Important Follow these steps BEFORE you plug your 1014 26 into your computer for the first time Begin by running the Alesis installer s These programs there may be one or more than one will install three very important components onto your computer e Drivers These are the system components that allow Microsoft Windows to identify and interact with your IO 14 26 You do not interact with the drivers directly but they must be installed on your computer for the IO 14 26 to work Control Panel The control panel allows you to set sample rates clock sources buffer sizes and other settings Hardware Direct Monitoring Panel This application lets you route the IO 14 26 s inputs directly to its outputs for a minimum of latency delay when recording The Hardware Direct Monitoring Panel also allows you to change Headphone2 and S PDIF output assignments For each of the several installations that occur click Continue Anyway if Windows warns you that the drivers have not passed Microsoft Logo Certification areas WATT F The software you are insta
33. ering signals near the top of the scale Then go just a bit further Notice the harsh buzzing kind of distortion that appears This distortion is digital clipping It can ruin your recordings and should be avoided at all costs unless you want it as a special unmusical effect 45 46 Base Sample Rates 44 1 88 2 176 4kHz versus 48 96 192kHz There are two base sampling rate standards in the world of professional audio 44 100 samples per second 44 1kHz and 48 000 samples per second 48kHz Broadly speaking audio CD s operate at 44 1kHz while film and television operate at 48kHz High definition sample rates including 88 2kHz 96kHz 176 4kHz and 192kHz are all simply multiples doublings and quadruplings of the 44 1kHz and 48kHz standards The 1014 26 offers all of these sample rates If you re unclear on what base sample rate to use consider this guideline If your recordings are slated for release on CD MP3 Casette Vinyl etc set your sampling rate to 44 1 88 2 or 176 4k for best results e If your project is slated for DVD film or television set your sampling rate to 48 96 or 192k for best results ee SUO PEES mid stream in projects is fairly straightforward in most DAW programs However doing so may cause very slight but still audible degradation of your audio If you re working on a commercial project and you re not sure what rate to use ask your technical supervisor b
34. ether to install the drivers automatically or search for a specific location choose to install them automatically If you are asked whether you want to connect to the Internet to check for the latest driver choose not to Let the installer continue installing the various sets of drivers until you see a message stating Your new hardware is installed and ready to use Do not cancel any of the installations as they are all required for proper operation Make IO 14 26 the default audio device To use your IO 14 26 interface as your default Windows sound device follow these steps 1 From the Windows Start menu choose Control Panel Depending on your Windows preferences it will appear similar to one of the two pictures below Control Panel See Al See Also Windows undere Hop and support A Winders Update D Hepara support J User accounts ter corealranl Opens network Corrections Cornects to other corputers Siva new Desktop Karager Corfgue your NIDIA We D BeePhere and Modem Options Corfgure your telephone daln B artabie edia Devices new the portable media device 2 Choose Sounds and Audio Devices 3 Click the Audio tab Change the default devices for both sound playback and sound recording to your IO interface Sounds and Audio Devices Properties Volume Sounds Audio Voice Hardware Sound playback Default device A Alesis1394 WDM Audio M
35. etting In Deeper Hardware Cabling 101 Cables are a crucial and often overlooked part of a studio Many beginners run into problems because they use inappropriate or poor quality cabling to connect their gear and their recordings suffer as a result Don t let this happen to you Use the following guidelines to maximize your sound quality 1 Use balanced cabling wherever possible The IO 14 and IO 26 are fully balanced recording devices that will give you the best sound quality when using balanced cabling wherever possible Technically speaking balanced cables carry your signal over three conductors known as hot cold and ground as opposed to unbalanced cables which only have two conductors known as hot and ground Because of this design difference balanced cables pick up much less radio frequency RF and electromagnetic EM noise Musically speaking this means you ll have much less unwanted humming hissing and buzzing noises in your recordings 2 Minimize Cable Length As your cable length increases so does your signal s susceptibility to unwanted noise Try to minimize your cable runs as much as possible to preserve sound quality Don t sweat over minor differences in length e using 20 of cable when you only need 15 but definitely don t use a 100 ft cable if all you need is 10 ft 3 Use High Quality Cables Not all cables are the same Try to use well c
36. fferent audio devices to be used at the same time aa However doing so can cause 2 Cors synchronization problems ee Therefore we suggest that HSS Ratko eee 3 you use the IO14 26 as your ee io a i sole computer connected P DORAO audio input output device z Stieaeke when using WDM Drum Map Manager Control Surfaces Audio 1 SFimes Configure audio device 2 On the General tab select any available 1014 26 channels as the Playback and Record timing masters Audio Options WDM KS Playback Timing Master BRAESSSEEESS1 SOE en ie es F T This discussion uses Record Timing Master 1 Alesis1394 WDM Audio 1 2 v Cakewalk s Sonar software n rinci rovi Audio Driver Bit Depth 16 v 64 bit Double Precision Engine oe f p a p n d Stereo Panning Law OdB center sin cos taper constant power v recording software Default Settings for New Projects Sampling Rate as oo x Buffers in Playback Queue 2 For applications like Sonar Buffer Size 1 that support both WDM and Fast coe ASIO modes you may want Effective latency at 44kHz stereo 99 0 msec to experiment with each to see if either mode offers Wave Profiler greater stability Alesis generally recommends using ASIO mode when possible 3 Click the Advanced tab For WDM operation be sure that the Driver Mode is set to WDM KS If you change this A limitation of the WDM setting you
37. hange events If you do not mind your sample rate changing freely choose Allow SR Changes To allow only ASIO applications like Cubase to change the sample rate select Allow ASIO changes only You can lock the sample rate such that it can only be changed using this control panel by selecting Apps cannot change SR This is the safest of all these options Whichever setting you choose the sample rate can always be changed from within this control panel Note however that if you have an audio application open you can cause conflicts with it if you try to set the sample rate differently here compared to the setting in the open audio application 6 Enable or Disable WDM audio Windows only If you are using ASIO applications exclusively and do not need access to Windows system sounds Windows Media Player or other media players consider unchecking this box Doing so helps ensure that unwanted audio from other applications does not intrude on your intended audio output 7 Set the clock master If you are using multiple Firewire audio devices at once chain one to the next and designate the one at the beginning of the chain as the clock master 8 Specify the audio clock source In digital recording systems all digital input devices must be synchronized to the same clock For IO 14 26 this means that you need to take care to set the clock source properly when you use either the S PDIF or the ADAT
38. his unplug your notebook s power adapter and run on battery power If this solves your problem consider using a three to two prong ground lifter between your computer and your AC power source Be sure to observe all necessary safety precautions 3 If your computer has a mini Firewire jack be suspicious of your four to six pin Firewire cable Many poorly constructed cables cause problems Try using a respected brand name cable 4 Again if your computer has a mini Firewire jack consider using a six pin Firewire PCMCIA card or ExpressCard to bypass the built in firewire connection altogether Help on the web Most major recording programs are supported by lively user forums The odds are that if you re having problems someone who posts at these forums has already experienced them and found solutions Don t be shy about visiting these forums and posting your questions 59 60 Technical Specifications Analog Inputs Sample rates Frequency response Dynamic range Signal to noise ratio THD N Crosstalk Preamplifier THD N Preamplifier slew rate Microphone gain range Microphone impedance Line gain range Line impedance Guitar gain range Guitar impedance 44 1kHz 48kHz 88 2kHz 96kHz 176 4kHz 192kHz 0 05dB from 20Hz to 22kHz 112dB A weighted 112 dB A weighted minimum ain 0 001 0 0015 1kHz 0dBFS 110dB 1 kHz lt 0 0007 at 20dB gain 15 volts microse
39. hono input IO 26 only Connect your turntable to this input If your turntable has a grounding cable attach it to the grounding screw to the upper right of the phono inputs This grounding will minimize humming and buzzing 4 ADAT Lightpipe Inputs These optical digital inputs can accommodate a wide variety of ADAT enabled gear The IO 14 has one ADAT input whereas the IO 26 shown above has two ADAT inputs Use ADAT compatible optical cables to connect to these inputs 5 S PDIF Connectors Connect PDIF enabled digital devices such as the Alesis Masterlink CD players DAT machines MiniDisc Recorders etc to your IO 14 26 using coaxial RCA terminated cables 6 MIDI Connectors Connect your keyboards sound modules or other MIDI devices to your IO 14 26 using 5 pin MIDI cables Remember to chain the OUTs of each device to the INs of other devices The IO14 26 s outputs are impedance balanced This wiring method provides all of the benefits of fully balanced wiring when the outputs are connected to balanced gear Furthermore impedance balancing unlike other balancing methods allows for trouble free connection to unbalanced devices Ifyou connect an ADAT or S PDIF input device or both you will need to select one of them as the clock master in the IO s control panel The device you select as the clock master will determine the IO s clock rate and will be resp
40. inputs 1 INTERNAL Use this setting if a You are not connecting any external S PDIF or ADAT input devices b You are connecting external S PDIF or ADAT input devices but you are running a cable from the IO 14 26 s S PDIF output into one of these devices This is a rare case If youre using the IO 14 26 by itself you don t need to worry about clocking Just make sure that the Clock Source parameter in the IO 14 26 s control panel is set to Internal If you re connecting your IO 14 26 to other equipment through the ADAT or S PDIF connections keep in mind the following rule of digital audio When connecting devices digitally all of your devices must be locked to ONE clock 33 34 2 S PDIF or ADAT Use one of these settings if you have attached either a S PDIF or ADAT device If you have attached more than one of these devices synchronize their clocks using dedicated cables then choose one of the as the clock master Note that ADAT2 on the IO 26 cannot be the clock master If you are only using one ADAT input on the IO 26 use the first input If you are using both ADAT1 and ADAT2 with two different hardware devices be sure to clock one device to the other 3 FIREWIRE Use this setting if you have another Firewire audio devices connected to the 1014 26 and you want that device s clock to drive the 1014 26 s clock No additional cables are necessaty the 1014 26 will rea
41. iol iojes ALESIS This page intentionally left blank 10 20 30 40 50 CO 70 80 90 100 Table Of Contents INtrOCUCHION cccscccesscesseesseesseessesssesesesssessseeeeeD About the 10 14 and IO 26 00 0 ec ecssssrecccecesssnsceceecees Minimum System Requirements How to Use This Manual sesessessssssesecssssssoseosessssoseosesssse Chapter 1 Hardware Overview 000000009 Section Identification Top Panelni iea Rear Panel ssccsssvecsscccicascsnsscosssececscestavessvecsedsabueseovasseicess saevesecnteradasvaveessvecieaes Chapter 2 Installation Windows 15 Install the software drivers first sssssssesesssecssssessseosssse Install Cubase LE optional esesssssssosecsessse Connect your IO 14 26 cssssceccecssessseeee Make IO 14 26 the default audio device Disable Windows System Sounds cccssssssssreccecesesees Chapter 3 Installation Macintosh 21 Install the software drivers first sssssssccssssecssssessseosssse Install Cubase LE optional Connect your IO 14 26 ssssccececessesseeeee Make IO 14 26 the active audio device Chapter 4 Getting Started with Cab as el ices secsstescened acres eieetess ean eohac AD Introducing Cubase LE esesssssssoseoecssssosooecesssssoscosssssoscossse 23 Windows only selecting the IO 14 26 as your audio and MIDI deviCe eesssssssssssssssssesssesssessssseseses
42. le to your IO 26 use the RCA phono inputs on the rear of the unit and engage this switch Note that when you engage this switch the top panel inputs and gain controls for channels 7 8 are disabled Phantom Power These switches let you supply 48v Phantom power is only Phantom Power to condenser microphones that require necessary for condenser power Each button engages disengages phantom power for microphones Dynamic a pair of inputs i e channels 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 7 8 microphones do not need power to work correctly Check your microphone s manual to find out if it needs phantom power 11 12 Rear Panel You ll find the following on the rear of your IO 14 26 1 Headphone Outputs Connect your headphones to these outputs The first headphone output always mirrors the analog 1 2 output pair The second headphone output is assignable in software 2 Main outputs 8 outputs on IO 26 2 outputs on IO 14 Use 1 4 TRS cables to connect these outputs to the balanced inputs of your powered speakers or power amplifier If your speakers or amplifier only provide unbalanced inputs use unbalanced TS cables The IO 26 shown above has 8 outputs The IO 14 has 2 outputs If you are using the IO 26 and wish to connect additional speakers headphone amplifiers or hardware processors connect them to outputs 3 through 8 3 P
43. ling for this hardware has not passed Windowe Logo testing to verily its compatibity vat P i Continuing your installation of this software may impair u system ConiinseAnywap STOP installation Windows Logo Certification warning Ignore this warning by clicking Continue Anyway If you have access to the Internet check http www alesis com for the very latest software updates The updates posted there are guaranteed to be the most current best software versions available Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later is required The Windows drivers include the two most popular standards for audio interfacing WDM the Windows Driver Model built by Microsoft and ASIO the Audio Stream Input Output standard used by many audio software applications 15 16 Install Cubase LE optional If you are interested in using Cubase LE as your multitrack Digital Audio Workstation install it from the CD now Connect your IO 14 26 Now connect your IO 14 26 to your computer using a Firewire cable Watch for one of the lights on the unit to turn on within a few seconds If a light does not turn on or if you are using a notebook computer with a small four pin Firewire connector plug in the external AC adapter Windows will recognize the IO 14 26 and start the Found New Hardware wizard The installation process will automatically install these drivers one by one When you are prompted wh
44. n digital once you reach full scale you re using all of the available resolution Attempting to record at greater than OdBfs results in digital clipping Dedicated hardware metering of digital signal The meters on the front panel of the IO show your audio signal as it is seen by the digital converters In other words they re totally accurate unlike analog meters which only approximate the digital signal strength Dedicated input monitoring panel In the HDM application there is a special tab for Input Monitoring This tab provides an uncluttered view of the strength of your incoming signals Note that the tab is always in narrow view to provide a quick overview of all the channels Pre fader level monitoring Again in the HDM application all metering is always pre fader That means that the metering shown to you is independent of how you set the volume sliders This allows you to see your actual signal strength even as you re creating various custom mixes for the people you are recording If you haven t experienced digital clipping before spend a moment to learn what it sounds like Plug a microphone or line level source into your IO In the HDM panel turn up the fader for that channel in an appropriate output tab Be sure that the Direct Mon slider towards the right is turned up as well You want to hear your audio Watch the HDM panel metering and turn up the IO s preamp until you re regist
45. ng technology Once you work with the IO 14 26 we re and product update notices please register your IO 14 or I0 26 FireWire interface at http www alesis com confident you ll appreciate the outstanding sound quality superior construction and attention to detail We re continually delighted by the recordings that have been captured with our products We hope that your IO 14 26 will be there to inspire and capture your finest performances Sincerely The People of Alesis About the IO 14 and IO 26 Our IO 14 and IO 26 audio interfaces are professional grade tools with everything you need to turn your musical ideas to polished recordings The two units are virtually identical except that the larger IO 26 has more inputs and outputs than its smaller sibling the IO 14 The IO 14 and IO 26 feature the following High speed FireWire IEEE 1394a interface for low latency and tons of audio I O from your computer The high bandwidth of the FireWire interface allows a single IO 26 to handle 26 inputs and 8 outputs simultaneously the IO 14 handles 14 inputs and 6 outputs simultaneously Premium 192k analog to digital and digital to analog converters True 24 bit operation for all digital and analog inputs and outputs High Definition Microphone Preamplifiers This new design exhibits superb technical performance and delivers pristine unclouded sonics 48v phantom power required for powering condenser studio mict
46. not see the 10 14 or IO 26 inter face ceecccccsssssseereccecssesees 56 Basic troubleshooting i Advanced troubleshooting under Windows ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssnes 56 Audio playback or recording is at the wrong Audio playback or recording stutters or ALOPS OU sesesisesesscetesesesesssesdsesesevesdescebacssasesesdeecessssdessvesevseeds Audio echoes during recording Problems with notebook computer audio VO COPGING seisise sess sesesssessiesdsesesevssvsdessscesesessiesdess cesbcesssesdeesssesess 59 Technical Specifications GOSS APY sib ised isiecdsssecsseessvevsstsvedssveasssertersessvecesseenss OO Warranty Contact Alesis cccccssssssseseeeseeeeee 67 Alesis Limited Warranty Alesis Contact Information Trademarks This page intentionally left blank Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Alesis IO FireWire audio interface You could say Alesis knows a thing or two about recording Countless artists engineers and producers have relied on our digital recorders since the introduction of the original Blackface ADAT in 1991 Some publications have even claimed that our ADAT recorders started the home studio revolution back in the 1990s We re proud that our line of affordable tools has made professional quality recording possible for millions of people around the world The IO series FireWire interfaces are the next step in Alesis For more effective service recordi
47. nt with connecting it to the insert jack The insert jack allows you to use your external preamp while completely bypassing the IO 14 260s built in preamplifier To bypass the IO 14 26 s internal preamplifier connect the return of the insert cable to your external device Leave the send of the insert cable disconnected Doing this will unbalance the external preamplifier s signal In most cases this is not a problem but check with your preamplifier s manufacturer for any noise level or grounding concerns before connecting your equipment in this way 43 44 This page intentionally left blank Getting In Deeper Recording Watch Your Levels While Recording A basic principle in digital recording is that you want to capture the loudest signal you can but at the same time you never ever want to exceed the maximum digital threshold If you do you ll introduce the nasty distortion known as digital clipping into your recording Your Alesis IO provides a number of methods to help you avoid digital clipping 1 24 bit recording Operating at 24 bits the IO offers 256 times more resolution than that of 16 bit compact disks One result of that increased resolution is that you have far more headroom to work within You can easily record such that your loudest peaks for an unpredictable player are no greater than 12dBfs to 18dBfs dBfs stands for decibels at full scale I
48. o Sounds No Sounds Windows Default To change sounds click a program event in the following list and then select a sound to apply You can save the changes as a new sound scheme Program events Windows Asterisk Close program Critical Battery Alarm Critical Stop Default Beep 3 Click OK to accept this entry and close the dialog box 20 This page intentionally left blank Installation Macintosh Important Download the drivers from http www alesis com onto a folder on your desktop or insert the software CD into your computet s CD drive BEFORE you plug your IO 14 26 into your computer for the first time Install the software drivers first Important Follow these steps BEFORE you plug your 1014 26 into your computer for the first time Begin by running the Alesis installer s These programs there may be one or more than one installer will install three very important components onto your computer Drivers The CoreAudio and CoreMIDI drivers allow your Mac to identify and interact with your IO 14 26 Control Panel Access the Control Panel from Audio MIDI Setup s Configure Device button The control panel allows you to set sample rates clock sources buffer sizes and other settings Hardware Direct Monitoring Panel This application lets you route the IO 14 26 s inputs directly to its outputs for a minimum of latency delay when recording The Hardwar
49. o and MIDI Digital Audio Workstation The following instructions are designed to get you set up and recording audio with Cubase LE quickly For more information on using this software consult the documentation available in Cubase s Help menu Windows only selecting the IO 14 26 as your audio and MIDI device 1 Choose the menu option Devices Cubase LE File Edit Project Audio MIDI Pool Transport s Device Setup For Mac users the audio device used by Cubase is the same one that you select in Audio MIDI setup Generic Remote MIDI Device Manager Mixer Plug in Information VST Inputs VST Instruments YST Master Effects VST Outputs VST Performance VST Send Effects Video Show Panel E 0001 01 01 000 IR 01 01 000 0001 01 01 000 feo Joli D gt oy OT DO 23 24 2 Click the VST Multitrack option Device Setup All MIDI Inputs Default MIDI Ports 3 From within the ASIO Driver drop down box choose the 10 14 26 Press Apply to accept the change Device Setup All MIDI Inputs Default MIDI Ports T Multitrack F e Control Panel a E Direct Manitsting 4 To enable MIDI click on the Default MIDI Ports option on the left hand side and select IO 14 26 s MIDI ports for input and output Again click Apply to accept the changes Then press OK to exit this screen 5 Now that the
50. o use the table of contents to look up specific topics Chapter 1 Hardware Overview describes every section of the 1O 14 20 s in detail If you re not sure about the function of a knob button connector or status light read this section for clarification Chapter 2 Installation Windows walks you though the installation of the drivers and included software that accompany the IO 14 26 This section covers ASIO WDM and MIDI I O drivers for the PC Chapter 3 Installation Macintosh discusses installation of the CoreAudio and CoreMIDI drivers for Macintosh computers Chapter 4 Getting Started with Cubase LE is designed to help you start recording right away Chapter 5 Using the Control Panel shows you how to configure the 1O 14 26 Chapter 6 Hardware Direct Monitoring provides detailed instructions for using the 101 14 26 s built in digital mixer for low latency audio monitoring Chapter 7 Getting In Deeper Hardware covers a variety hardware issues such as cabling using the IO 14 26 s insert jacks and wiring up a home studio Chapter 8 Getting In Deeper Recording discusses various recording methods and techniques and includes a special section for Cakewalk SONAR users Chapter 9 Troubleshooting provides various troubleshooting techniques in case of difficulty Technical Specifications covers a variety of technical information that technical users will want to know And at the end of this manual
51. od ALESIS shall at its sole and absolute option either repair register your I Oll 4 26 or replace free of charge any product that proves to be defective on inspection by online at ALESIS or its authorized service representative In all cases disputes concerning this http Tout warranty shall be resolved as prescribed by law ED lt WWW QLeStS COM To obtain warranty service the purchaser must first call or write ALESIS at the address and telephone number available on the Alesis Website to obtain a Return Authorization Number and instructions concerning where to return the unit for service All inquiries must be accompanied by a description of the problem All authorized returns must be sent to ALESIS or an authorized ALESIS repair facility postage prepaid insured and properly packaged Proof of purchase must be ptesented in the form of a bill of sale canceled check or some other positive proof that the product is within the warranty period ALESIS reserves the right to update any unit returned for repair ALESIS reserves the right to change or improve design of the product at any time without prior notice This warranty does not cover claims for damage due to abuse neglect alteration or attempted repair by unauthorized personnel and is limited to failures arising during normal use that are due to defects in material or workmanship in the product THE ABOVE WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS WHETHER
52. onsible for keeping all of the digital signals synchronized Therefore if you turn this device off you will need to select another clok master in the control panel FireWire Connectors Connect one of these plugs to your computer s FireWire port You can use the other jack to connect additional FireWire devices such as hard drives to your computer Up to 127 devices can be daisy chained on one FireWire bus Power Connector Use the supplied AC adapter if your computer does not provide sufficient Firewire bus power to power the IO 14 26 or if you want to preserve battery power Note that many notebook and small form factor computers like Mac Mini computers do not provide sufficient power for bus power For these computers the external adapter must be used Kensington Security Slot This locking mechanism allows you to secure your IO 14 26 to a desk or some other heavy object using an optional third party locking device If your Firewire cable comes with one ferrite a bulge in the cable near the connector connect the end with the ferrite to the IO 14 26 and connect the end without the ferrite to your computer Ifan AC adapter is attached the IO 14 26 will use it FireWire bus power is only used if no AC power is available Computers with noisy internal power supplies can send periodic audible pulsing through the outputs of your IO 14 26 If you hear a low level pulsing plug in the AC adapt
53. onstructed high quality cables whenever possible Two cables may look the same on the outside but a high quality cable will have better shielding and soldering on its connectors This means a good cable will perform better and last much longer than a cheap one 4 Keep em separated Try to keep your audio cables and power cables separate from each other Power cables tend to emit lots of electromagnetic noise and if you bunch all of your cables together to make them look tidy you re increasing the noise that is picked up by your audio cables Group your cables in two bunches if possible i e an audio group and an other group and keep these groups separate Even a few inches between the two groups will substantially cut down on noise If your power and audio cables need to cross paths have them do so at 90 degree angles to minimize contact 39 40 Common Hookup Scenarios Singer Songwriter The following setup will be commonly used by singer songwriters working in their home studios It allows for the artist to hook up guitars keyboards and microphones to the IO 14 26 and to monitor him herself on headphones The guitar keyboard or microphone shown below can easily be swapped with other equipment i e samplers CD players more microphones etc to match the artist s needs All of the arrows indicate analog 1 or XLR cabling unless otherwise noted Note that the computer can be replaced with a lap
54. oo high and system performance is stable Experiment with raising or lowering buffer sizes to hit this sweet spot Many people use two latency As you begin adding plug in EQ compression and so forth to settings a lower one when your project your computer will need to work harder Consider recording tracks and a higher increasing your buffer size at this time one when mixing 4 Choose a Buffer Mode Three different modes allow you to customize the way that your computer organizes and uses buffers If you use your computer for all sorts of applications besides music Word Processing email etc choose Norma Buffer Mode If your computer is relatively new and is used almost exclusively for music applications and has very few other processes running choose Fast mode Choose High Performance mode if you have an extremely well specified computer use few background tasks and are not shuttling very large amounts of data through the Firewire bus Experiment with each of these settings in your first few weeks using the 1014 26 Depending upon your computer configuration and the types of audio projects you do you may find that one setting clearly outperforms the others 5 Specify how sample rates can change Since Windows and various Windows applications have a nasty tendency to try and take control over your audio sample rate often without notice this section allows you to ignore those sample c
55. ophones can be applied to any pair of inputs on the unit Switchable guitar inputs for direct recording of guitars and basses Dedicated stereo turntable inputs IO 26 only Alesis Hardware Direct Monitoring for hassle free headphone mixes in any recording situation The included software makes setting up mixes a snap Two headphone outputs optimized for the recording engineer and the artist S PDIF I O and ADAT inputs to cover all of your digital connectivity needs Inserts on every analog input for patching additional hardware into your signal path Integrated MIDI I O on standard 5 pin connectors FireWire bus or AC adapter power Solid construction that s built for many years of heavy use Minimum System Requirements Windows Mac Pentium 4 2 4GHz or equivalent e g Centrino 512Mb RAM Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher 5400RPM or faster hard drive recommended G4 512Mb RAM OS X 10 4 or higher 5400RPM or faster hard drive recommended How to Use This Manual We know this manual will be an integral part of the experience with your IO 14 or IO 26 interface so we ve done our best to make it complete accurate and helpful for you The manual is divided into the following sections describing the various functions and applications of the IO audio interface While it s a good idea to read through the entire manual once carefully those having general knowledge about audio interfaces may want t
56. owever the method outlined here is perfectly fine as well as being the most simple and economical To ensure S PDIF lock set the clock source and sample rate in the Alesis control panel before connecting powering on or changing the sample rate of your S PDIF device Hardware Direct Monitoring The Alesis Hardware Direct Monitoring and Routing Application A powerful digital mixer is built into your io This digital mixer allows you to route your analog and digital inputs directly to the outputs completely bypassing the computer This hardware based routing allows musicians to monitor their performances with no perceptible delay There may be times when you find this functionality to be unnecessary For instance when you are recording simpler projects that put less strain on your computer you can generally choose lower buffer settings in the Alesis IO control panel This way you can use the input monitoring feature of your DAW recorder and the latency delay experienced by your performers will be very slight However when you add more tracks and plug ins you will need to increase your buffer sizes in order for your system to keep operating smoothly At this point it makes sense to mute the Input Monitoring on your DAW and use the 1014 26 s digital mixer Using the Hardware Direct Monitoring HDM panel Once you have connected all your recording gear and established a computer connection as shown by the light on
57. providing bus power Computer provides Use the supplied AC adapter insufficient power for bus power operation Computer or audio application does not see the IO 14 or IO 26 interface Basic troubleshooting First check that the IO 14 26 is seen by the computer Under Sounds and Audio Devices Windows or Audio MIDI Setup Mac look for your IO 14 or IO 26 to be listed as an available device If your IO 14 26 is not shown check that the Firewire cable is properly connected Turn your IO 14 26 off wait a few seconds and then power it up again Repeat this process until the IO 14 or IO 26 is found Advanced troubleshooting under Windows The best way to see that your IO 14 26 is connected and operating properly is through the Windows Device Manager This is a powerful Windows component that requires some navigation but yields very detailed information 1 Start by finding the My Computer icon either on your desktop or from the Start menu 2 Right click the My Computer icon and select Properties Open Explore Search Manage Map Network Drive Disconnect Network Drive Create Shortcut Delete Rename 3 The active tab at the top of this window is now the General tab Click the Hardware tab Then click the Device Manager button System Properties f System Properties System Restore Automatic Updates Remote System Restore Automatic Update R
58. s and sound modules use cables with TRS plugs TRS stands for Tip Ring Sleeve In the Guitar position the input provides 6 8dB to 50dB For connections to unbalanced gear like most electric of gain the same range as guitars and basses use cables with TS plugs TS stands for the XLR input Tip Sleeve These cables do not have the third wire which TRS cables use to balance the audio signal Choose the tight cable for the job TRS cables provide a stronger signal and significantly better noise shielding when used with balanced gear than TS cables If you re not sure whether an instrument is balanced your safest bet is to use a balanced 4 TRS cable 10 Inserts The IO 14 26 features insert jacks on every analog input These inserts allow you to place additional equipment like compressors equalizers etc into your signal path using insert cables Insert cables feature a 1 2 TRS connector on one end and two TS connectors on the other end This jack is covered in detail on page 42 Send Connector To External Device s Input Insert Connector To Audio Interface I Return Connector From External Device s Output Mic Line or Guitar Switch Channels 1 2 only Channels 1 and 2 of your IO 14 26 allow you to switch in a specially designed high impedance circuit optimized for recording an electric guitar or bass If you re recording
59. sing an external analog to digital converter to add more inputs to your The ADAT2 port on the 1014 26 you can add 8 IO 14 or 16 O 26 channels at IO 26 is only operational at 44 1 or 48k but you can only add 4 channels of 88 2k or 44 1k and 48k sample rates 96k audio Surround Sound IO 26 only The IO 26 s 8 analog outputs make it perfect for multichannel surround sound applications such as sound for film TV or DVD If your softwate supports surround mixing simply hook up your speakers to the IO 26 and refer to the software s documentation on how to set up a surround mixing environment Note that there are several common surround formats including 4 channel a k a quad 6 channel 5 1 and 8 channel 7 1 There Ve g are also many non standard and custom S mixing scenarios and every situation has its own rules and requirements on speaker type placement and other factors It would be 1357 beyond the scope of this manual to cover each type of surround configuration but the following 5 1 mixing scenario is commonly used and will work for most applications The diagram below illustrates the setup The Mix circle represents the sweet spot where the engineer sits The left and right speakers are positioned 30 off center The rear two channels are positioned 135 off of the center speaker ee ape The distance from the mixing engineer to each
60. speaker should be identical or as close to it as possible Note that subwoofer placement depends on the size and shape of the mixing room The sub should be placed in a location that provides the most linear frequency response This generally requires some trial and error before the optimal subwoofer position is located Again if you re working on a commercial project make sure to speak to the supervisor and iron out the details before jumping in This may save you from time consuming conversion or remixing in the future Pa CENTER More on Surround Mixing The Grammy organization has excellent and free resources available on the web for people interested in surround mixing Please see http www grammy org pe_w ing guidelines for more about this 49 50 Using the 1014 26 with Sonar and other WDM applications WDM or ASIO Experiment with both protocols An increasing number of Windows audio applications including Sonar offer a choice of either ASIO or WDM operation It s worth experimenting with the two different modes of operation ASIO will often but not always prove to be the superior choice For applications that only work using WDM the following instructions should prove helpful Choosing the 1014 26 as your audio device 1 Choose the menu Options Audio SONAR1 SONAR 4 Producer Edition File Edit Process View Insert Transport Go Track Tools Unlike ASIO WDM allows di
61. top making the recording rig completely portable FireWire lt gt 0 a Full Studio Setup The following setup makes full use of the IO 14 s audio inputs and outputs All of the arrows indicate analog or XLR cabling unless otherwise noted An IO 26 would allow you to connect four additional analog inputs as well as 8 additional digital inputs via a second ADAT port ADAT S PDIF 41 42 Using the Insert Jacks Sometimes you may want to add additional gear into your signal path before your analog to digital converter digitizes your signal and sends it to the computer For example many bass players like to compress their instrument with an analog compressor before recording into the computer Inserts help you do this by letting you tap into your signal after the IO 14 26 s preamplifier but before the A D converter The two diagrams below demonstrate where the inserts fit into your signal path In the diagram to the left no insert is used and your signal passes straight from the preamp to the A D converter In the diagram on the right an effects processor is inserted into the signal path just after the preamp before the A D converter Audio Interface Audio Interface lil
62. udio Recorder Default Music for picture NTSC Music for picture PAL Stereo Mastering Setup 27 3 Cubase needs to know where to place audio Choose a directory here An excellent scheme for storing your projects is to create a directory called audio projects Then within that folder create a new folder for each song you work on Cubase will store Desktop your song file and all My Documents associated audio files in that a 3 My Computer L same folder EA 3 Floppy A B s Local Disk C sO Select directory Set Project Folder a 4 Now you have a blank project Add an audio track for recording by choosing Project Add Track Audio Cubase LE Folder Group Channel Hide All Automation MIDI Marker Master Automation Video Pool Ctrl P Markers Ctrl M Tempo Track Ctr T Beat Calculator Multiple Notepad Project Setup Shift 5 28 5 Be sure that the inspector a strip on the left hand side of Cubase that shows all sorts of information about the selected track is active If your view is similar to that shown below the Inspector is active If you do not see all of the information on the left hand side the Inspector is not active To activate it press the show Inspector button towards the upper left of the screen just below the Edit menu in the following picture Cubase LE File Edit Project Audio
63. usage by 3 because we assume you ll be recording at 24 bit One byte of disk space contains 8 bits of information Thus if you are recording at 24 bit resolution you ll need 3 bytes to contain all of that sample data since 3 x 8 24 This is why your disk usage must be multiplied by 3 If you were recording at 16 bit which we do not recommend due to the reduction in sound quality you would only multiply your total by 2 since a 16 bit sample only needs 2 bytes to describe the sample 2 x 8 16 If all of this sounds like Martian to you don t worry You don t really need to know this stuff and there s no quiz at the end of the manual 2 Processor Usage A second drawback of recording in high definition is that you ll use substantially higher amounts of CPU resources This is because your computer processor has to deal with twice as many samples operating at 88 2k than it does when processing at 44 1k and four times as many samples when recording at 176 4k The following hypothetical scenario should clarify Sample Rate Maximum Plugins you can run on your computer 44 1 48k 40 88 2 96k 20 176 4 192k 10 If you generally don t use many audio tracks and plugins this won t affect you very much If you use tons of audio tracks and plugins this may tilt you in favor of recording at a lower sampling rate or get a faster computer if you insist in recording in HD 3 Fewer ADAT optical inputs If you re u
64. will need to exit and then restart Sonar architecture is that each time you change between low 44 1 48 medium Audio Options WDM KS 88 2 96 and high 176 4 192 sample rates the General Advanced Drivers Driver Profiles WDM profiler needs to be Pe System l un again Enable Read Caching O Enable write Caching Help Ti herefore when changing og amngst these sample rates 1 0 Buffer Size KB 128 arer sizo a first close SONAR then change the sample rate on the Alesis control panel Finally Driver Mode WOM KS O Trigger amp Freewheel re open SONAR and allow its WOM KS Beenen sou Cala Sea WDM profiler to run again Dithering ASIO word clock input MME 32 Bit Share Drivers With U er Programs Full Chase Lock 2 Best when chasing to MIDI Use Multiprocessing Engine time cade C Play Effect Tails After Stopping Always Open All Devices Tring Offset msec 0 000 51 52 Move to the Drivers tab Click on each input pair and also on the output pair to make them available to Sonar Audio Options WDM KS General Advanced Drivers Driver Profiles Click on a driver to enable or disable it Input Drivers If you re having problems operating the IO 14 or IO 26 this troubleshooting index may help you resolve your issues Symptoms Cause No sound from the No
65. your IO 14 26 FireWire Audio Interface Term ASIO balance bus channel clipping codec condenser microphone DAW dB decibel dry dynamic microphone effects processor EQ equalizer Definition ASIO is an acronym for Audio Stream Input Output It is an audio protocol developed by Steinberg and used by many software manufacturets to communicate with audio hardwate A control that lets you adjust the ratio of one signal to another For example you can adjust the balance between your zero latency mix and your computer s output using the MONITOR BLEND knob The electrical component that carries signals from multiple sources to a single destination such as an amplifier A path through which an audio signal flows The distortion that takes place when your signal is too loud for channel s circuitry to handle When viewed on an oscilloscope this distortion makes your signal s peaks and troughs look like they have been cut or clipped off Compression decompression algorithm Different CODECs are used by different digital audio devices and file formats A type of high quality microphone that produces a weak signal usually requiring an external power source like the ones provided by your 10 14 26 s phantom power switch Digital audio workstation DAWs can be either standalone like the Akai DPS series or software based A common unit of measure for audio Term used to
66. z and 48kHz the io 26 offers 26 inputs 2 more than the total Therefore at these sample rates choose to monitor either ADAT 15 16 or S PDIF Your choice here will not affect the number of channels seen by your DAW Your DAW will always see all IO 14 26 channels This choice only affects the audio that you monitor through this HDM application If you still need to monitor those last two channels you can always do so through your Digital Audio Workstation software though some increased latency will result 11 Main Level The position of the MAIN LEVEL outs 1 2 knob is indicated here for convenience Windows only The metering options do not change how audio is actually recorded They only change how the audio is metered on screen For highly unpredictable audio live concerts maniac drummers etc consider using Safe metering and trying to keep your audio in the yellow area of the meter scale Then ifan unpredictable audio event occurs your audio is more likely to be recorded cleanly For predictable dynamic sources like distorted electric guitar or sources where you ve inserted a hardware limiter in the recording path don t be afraid to push your meters up into the red zone Red in this panel means caution not uh oh 37 38 Numbers 12 through 15 Load Save and Audio Routing Settings 12 Save Recall Settings Your HDM settings will only be recalled if you save them Save them

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