User manual M-AUDIO DUO

[. . . ] DUO AUDIO TM TM Users Manuual Introduction . . 6 Hardware & Software Installation on the PC . . 8 Hardware & Software Installation on the Mac . . 10 Using the Input and Output Level Switches . [. . . ] Let your ears be the judge, but when the clip LED lights and stays lit, you are approaching or have reached distortion in your Duo signal. You must also consider the level that is being sent from the Duo to your recording software. Check the input meters within your software and make sure that they are neither too low nor clipping (too `hot'). An adjustment in gain on the Duo may be necessary, but your optimal recording level within your software should be approaching but never reaching the maximum level. You will find more information on setting record levels in the manual of your music software. Understand that in digital recording, clipping is never a good thing. If your level goes into the red once, you've got distortion! 12 Phantom Power Unlike dynamic microphones, many "condenser microphones" need to receive a DC voltage (generally 48v) from an external source before they can generate an output signal. If the condenser mic doesn't come with its own power supply, then phantom power must be applied from the pre-amp. Pressing the "Phantom Power" button and engaging phantom power on the Duo will send the necessary voltage to BOTH of the XLR Mic Inputs. Phantom power will not affect a dynamic mic adversely, so its okay to have a dynamic mic at the XLR input while phantom power is switched on. Just to be safe, check you mic's documentation to see if it will accept or needs phantom power. Some ribbon mics definitely should NOT receive phantom power, as this could damage them. Using the Pad Switch On the front panel of the Duo, a "Pad" Switch is provided to attenuate a signal that is too hot before it gets to the mic preamp. If you find that your signal tends to clip even when the gain control knobs are set extremely low, try engaging the Pad Switch. When pressed and locked to the in position, the corresponding signal will be trimmed by 20dB. Gain reduction is bypassed when this switch is in the out position. Standalone Mode The Duo can also be used in a "Standalone" mode, independent of your computer. Pressing the "Standalone" switch on the front panel and locking it to the in position will connect the input channels, Channel 1 and Channel 2, directly to the Line Out, S/PDIF Out, and Headphone Out of the Duo. Operating the Duo in Standalone mode will give you three options: 1. The Duo can be used as an analog to digital, or "A/D" converter. A signal present at either the Mic Inputs or the Line Inputs will be converted to a digital audio signal and sent to the S/PDIF Out on the Duo. This will allow the Duo to be used with another digital audio device that accepts a S/PDIF signal, and not as a digital audio interface in conjunction with your computer. The Duo can be used as a microphone preamp, again, independent of your computer. A signal at the Mic Inputs of the Duo will appear at the Line Outs, allowing you to use the Duo's mic preamp in a sound reinforcement situation or similar instance where its use as a computer interface is not necessary. [. . . ] These are extremely important pieces of information to know when calling us. Finally, Mac users using OS X must know what their System Administrator Password is. Symptoms: Please be ready to describe the symptoms to the best of your abilities (crackle, stuck notes, jitter, etc. ) and whether or not they are consistent (Do they happen at the same place at the same time --each time?You may also want to note when you started experiencing these problems and whether it was related to any specific incident or not. [. . . ]