User guide

ManualsBrandsM-Audio ManualsHome AudioOmni I/O

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

1. Theory of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

2. Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

2.1 Recording Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

2.2 Mixing Section (all balanced/unbalanced on TRS jacks) . . . . . . . . .3

3. What’s In the Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

4. Front, Rear, and Top Panel Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

4.1 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

4.2 Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

4.3 Top Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

5. Operational Basics & Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

5.1 Balanced Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

5.2 Unbalanced Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

5.3 Phantom Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

5.4 Sends and Returns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

5.5 Plugs and Jacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

5.6 Balanced Cabling & Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

5.7 Unbalalanced Cabling & Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

5.8 Stereo Input and Insert Cables/Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

5.9 Line Levels vs. Mic/Instr Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

5.10 Virtual Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

6. Basic Playback Setup for the Omni I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

7. Basic Recording Setup for the Omni I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

8. Omni Signal Flow Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

9. Sequencing and the Omni I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

9.1 MIDI Sequencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

9.2 Setting MIDI Playback Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

10. Recording Audio to the Delta 44 or 66 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

10.1 Monitoring the Signals You Are Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

10.2 Monitoring the Record Inputs Using ASIO or EASI . . . . . . . . . .22

10.3 Setting Record Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

10.4 Record Levels Using the Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

10.5 Setting the Audio Track Playback Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

10.6 Adding Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

10.7 Recording Your MIDI Instruments as Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . .25

11. Mixing With the Omni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

11.1 Organizing the Audio Tracks for Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

11.2 Using the Direct Outs 1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

12. Alternate Omni Setups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

12.1 Recording with Four Pre-Amps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

12.2 Monitoring While Recording to Four Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

12.3 Recording Four Line Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

12.4 Recording FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

12.5 Submixing MIDI Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Limited Lifetime Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Summary of content (30 pages)

PAGE 1
Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 1. Theory of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 2. Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 2.1 Recording Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 2.
PAGE 2
Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of the Omni I/O Integrated Desktop Audio Station, designed and manufactured by M Audio. The Omni I/O is a “front end” companion to the Delta 66 or Delta 44 by M Audio, offering you truly professional options for both recording to and monitoring from your Delta Series audio card. Please read this manual to familiarize yourself with the Omni I/O and its features, and to understand how you can make the versatility of the Omni I/O work best for you.
PAGE 3
control room outputs and two headphone outputs, all with independent level controls. A separate “mix” out provides an independent feed to your mixdown deck. Ultimately, your individual and master volume levels will be controlled by your music software and/or Delta Monitor Mixer, and therefore can be saved into the computer’s memory for each recording project.
PAGE 4
3. What’s In the Box Contained within your Omni I/O package, you will find: This manual The Omni I/O A 9v AC 500 mA “wall wart” power supply 4. Front, Rear, and Top Panel Descriptions This section identifies the external connections and controls of the Omni I/O Integrated Desktop Audio Station, with a basic description of their function. More detailed descriptions of the Omni components and the basics of operation follow. 4.1 Front Panel 3 1 2 5 4 6 10 8 7 6 9 11 1.
PAGE 5
4. Gain Controls: The position of these rotary gain controls will determine the amount of microphone or instrument pre-amp gain being applied to the Omni pre-amps (Mic/Instr Inputs 1 & 2). The “U” marking shows a unity gain setting for the high impedance input when the Pad switch is engaged. 5. Channels 1 – 4 Effects Sends: The position of this control determines the amount of level that is sent to the mono effects bus (FX Send) within the Omni mixer circuitry.
PAGE 6
4.2 Rear Panel 5 2 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 3 4 7 6 9 10 8 7 11 12 13 9v AC Power Jack: This jack accepts a 2.5mm plug from a 9vAC, 500 mA power supply, included with the Omni. Use only the proper, AC power supply on the Omni. Direct Outs 1 – 4: These jacks are connected to the Delta H/W Outs 1 through 4, and bypass the Omni mixer. The 1/4” jacks accept TS plugs for unbalanced operation, or TRS for balanced.
PAGE 7
9. 10 11. 12. 13. “To Ins 3, 4” Switch: This switch, when pressed and locked to the in position, will send the stereo signal that is present at the Aux In 2 jack to the Delta H/W In 3 & 4. The Aux In 2 signal is then simultaneously muted to the Omni stereo buss. Effects (FX) Return: These 1/4” jacks accept TS plugs for unbalanced operation, or TRS for balanced, and can be used to return the outputs of an effects device to the Omni mixer. One plug can be plugged into the left input for mono operation.
PAGE 8
stereo) plug on the 1/4” jacks of the Omni (that are designed for unbal/balanced operation) will give you this balanced line—tip positive, ring negative, and sleeve ground. Generally, if the Omni outputs connect to a system or device that accepts a balanced line at +4dB (nominal level) operating level, you should use TRS plugs on the outputs. XLR connectors also carry a balanced signal.
PAGE 9
Sends and returns are generally spoken of in terms of the gear that is receiving the signal. The “effects send,” therefore, is an output from the mixer to the effect. The effect’s input receives the signal from the “effects send,” and the output of the effects device returns the signal to the mixer’s input, the “effects return.” The terms “sends and returns” can apply to other devices, such as a recording device.
PAGE 10
5.8 Stereo Input and Insert Cables/Connections A 1/4” TRS plug can alternately carry an unbalanced stereo audio signal over a two-conductor cable with a shield, which applies to “Aux In” and the “Insert” TRS jacks on the Omni. A TRS plug on one end with two mono TS plugs on the other is in fact a stereo cable, and is sometimes referred to as an “insert cable.” Keep in mind that the Aux Ins are stereo inputs.
PAGE 11
6. Basic Playback Setup for the Omni I/O This section will get you setup for playback and monitoring, as well as for mixing down when your project is complete (though you may make changes in your setup at that time). A discussion of the Omni components becomes more detailed in sections 9 through 11. Install your Delta card first, according to the Delta installation procedure found in the Delta 44 or 66 manual.
PAGE 12
NOTE: The Aux Ins add some gain to the signal into the Omni mixer so that the aux levels blend more easily with the audio tracks coming from your computer. 17dB of gain is given to the Aux In signals. 5. Connect the “Record (Mix) Outs” of the Omni to the analog inputs of your mixdown deck, such as a cassette tape deck or a DAT. If your mixdown deck’s inputs are unbalanced, use cable with a 1/4” Tip-Sleeve plug on the Omni Record Outs, with the appropriate plug, such as 1/4” TS, RCA, etc.
PAGE 13
8. Set the audio track’s output ports to Delta Wav Outs 1/2 or 3/4, or Delta ASIO Outs 1-4 if using the Delta ASIO drivers. 9. Open the Delta Control Panel to the Patchbay/Router page. Make sure that H/W Outs 1/2 and 3/4 are set to “WavOut 1/2” and “WavOut 3/4” (respectively) on the PC, or “SM/ASIO 1/2” and “SM/ASIO 3/4” on the Mac. NOTE: The Delta Patchbay/Router, when first installed, is set to play these software outputs.
PAGE 14
7. Basic Recording Setup for the Omni I/O Now that you’re setup for playback, setting up for recording is the next logical step. The recording setup is the most likely to change, so we’ll speak in terms of the types of devices that you will use at the Delta recording inputs. The Omni is capable of sending four signals to the four analog inputs on the Delta 44 or Delta 66 cards, via the 15-pin connectors. Each Mic/Instr comprises one of those paths to the delta card, for a total of two.
PAGE 15
3. “Line Inputs 3 & 4,” located on the Omni back panel, can be used for additional instruments that are already at line level. Many electronic instruments, as well as tape decks or CD players that you may want to record, will output sufficient level to be plugged directly into these line inputs. If you use an instrument with an outboard pre-amp, or if your instrument is plugged into an amplifier that has a pre-amp out, plug those outputs into Omni Line Inputs 3 & 4.
PAGE 16
8. Omni Signal Flow Chart The flowchart that sits atop the Omni I/O gives you an overview of what is connected to what, and what goes to where on the Omni. A flow chart is a powerful tool, so we will go into it in a little more detail with the expanded version. As we have mentioned, the Omni is modeled after a “split console” design. The Omni inputs that are used for recording are connected to the Delta H/W inputs. This is the record path, so we’ll call those channels the “record channels.
PAGE 17
The Omni I/O contains a mixer for monitoring the analog outputs of the Delta 44 or 66, four stereo auxiliary inputs, and a stereo effects return. These are the 14 channels of the Omni mixer path, so we’ll call them the “mixer channels.” 9. Sequencing and the Omni I/O You should be ready to at this point to start getting some work done with the Omni I/O and your Delta 44 or 66 PCI Interface. If you are using MIDI sequencing in your production work, that’s where you may want to begin. 9.
PAGE 18
to get you up and running. We also assume that you have installed a MIDI interface into your computer, and that this basic MIDI setup has already been established. The Omni provides you with four “Aux Ins” for monitoring your MIDI keyboards while you are sequencing and creating MIDI tracks. The auxiliary inputs can be used for different purposes, but monitoring MIDI keyboards, samplers, and drum machines is their primary intention.
PAGE 19
10. Recording Audio to the Delta 44 or 66 Take some time to read the Delta manual that came with your Delta card. Recording audio tracks requires a proper record setup, but setup for monitoring those signals while recording is equally important. Having read the basic recording setup in section 7 of this manual, you understand that Omni Mic/Instr Channel 1 is connected to the Delta H/W (hardware) In1.
PAGE 20
1. Launch your music software, then select a track for recording. 2. Choose the proper Delta input as the source for that track. 3. Enable the track for recording. 10.1 Monitoring the Signals You Are Recording We’ve spoken about listening to the playback of recorded audio files while the Delta Patchbay/Router is set to the “software” outputs. Only certain music software allows you to use that setting to monitor the signals you are recording. See the next section, 10.
PAGE 21
Using this setup, you will be able to record from the Omni Mic/Instr inputs, monitoring the H/W inputs while you record, and then monitor the tracks once they are recorded. All of these signals will enter the Omni mixer on channels 1 and 2. You can add effects (see section 10.6) to these channels while you are recording (the effect will not be recorded). Playing back the recorded tracks on these same two Omni channels will give you the same amount of effects on each channel.
PAGE 22
then this signal will appear on the Omni mixer channels 1 & 2 as well as mixer channels 3 & 4. Generally, this is not a desirable scenario, and setup B is designed to prevent this. 10.
PAGE 23
3. Start to raise the Omni gain control while testing your microphone or guitar. If you are using an instrument with volume controls, start with it on the highest setting, then play to test the level. Raise the Omni gain control to between 9 o’clock and 12 o’clock, or until you see the green signal LED start to light. 4. Continue to test the mic or instrument, making sure that the clip LED never stays lit for too long.
PAGE 24
1/4” TRS connection. This now processed signal is what is sent to the Delta H/W Ins, which are the record inputs to the Delta card. This type of insertion point is most often used for dynamics processors such as compressors or expanders (noise gates), or for other outboard gear such as an equalizer (EQ). Since an insert is often found on a patchbay, using an insert to add a processor to the signal flow is sometimes called “patching-in.” We will refer to these patch points as “insert out” and “insert in.
PAGE 25
Therefore, the volume level on each individual audio track recorded in your music software will control the playback level that enters the Omni mixer. Your music software may also have a mixer panel to control playback levels. Either will work fine, as generally, the MIDI volume level that you set on an individual track will be reflected in the software’s mixer panel. The audio track’s MIDI velocity setting will also affect the playback level. You can enter a positive or negative value.
PAGE 26
1. Next to Aux In 1 is a switch labeled “To Ins 1, 2.” Pressing in and engaging this switch, will a) take the signal present at the Aux In1 out of the stereo buss of the Omni mixer, and b) send that same signal to the Delta H/W Ins 1 & 2. 2. Next to Aux In 2 is a switch labeled “To Ins 3, 4.” Pressing in and engaging this switch, will a) take the signal present at the Aux In 2 out of the stereo buss of the Omni mixer, and b) send that same signal to the Delta H/W Ins 3 & 4.
PAGE 27
You can still mix through the Omni, adding effects using the Channel 1-4 Effects Send, and also using the Direct Outs. We will describe using the Direct Outs in the section 11.2, “Using the Direct Outs 1-4.” 11.1 Organizing the Audio Tracks for Mixing There are a number of ways to setup the audio tracks for mixing. Here are a couple of suggestions. Let’s say that you’ve recorded two live rhythm guitars, four background vocals, lead vocal and lead guitar.
PAGE 28
12. Alternate Omni Setups These are some advanced techniques. Once you master the Omni basics, you may want to try some of these variations. 12.1 Recording with Four Pre-Amps The Omni provides you with 2 pre-amp channels, Mic/Instr Channel 1, and Mic/Instr Channel 2. If you need to use two more pre-amps, you may connect the line outputs of two pre-amp channels to Omni Line Ins 3 & 4. The M Audio DMP-2 is a perfect companion to the Omni pre-amps, and will give you the same high quality sound.
PAGE 29
1 & 2, by plugging in only to the insert in (the red, or right side of the insert cable). This will break the signal flow of the pre-amps to the inserts, allowing you to have 2 unbalanced line inputs to the Delta H/W Ins 1 & 2. Pressing in the “To Ins 1, 2” switch will disconnect the Mic/Instr channels, however, so you must chose one or the other. The third method is to use the Instr In on Channels 1 & 2 of the Omni pre-amp.
PAGE 30
Limited Lifetime Warranty M Audio warrants that this product is free of defects in materials and workmanship under normal use so long as the product is: owned by the original purchaser; the original purchaser has proof of purchase from an authorized M Audio dealer; and the purchaser has registered his/her ownership of the product by sending in the completed warranty card. This warranty explicitly excludes power supplies and included cables which may become defective as a result of normal wear and tear.