M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge Manuale utente

User Guide

34-in/36-out FireWire Lightpipe Interface

English

Table of Contents

English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

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

What’s in the Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

About ProFire Lightbridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

ProFire Lightbridge Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Controls and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Hardware Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Word Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Using ProFire Lightbridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Software Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Hardware Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

About Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Word Clock Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Understanding Word Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Speciﬁcations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Warranty Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Warranty Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge User Guide

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing M-Audio’s ProFire Lightbridge interface. ProFire Lightbridge uses the ADAT optical

I/O standard to bring extensive digital connectivity to your studio. With its four ADAT optical inputs, four ADAT

optical outputs, S/PDIF coaxial input and output, and stereo analog outputs, ProFire Lightbridge lets you connect a

variety of devices to your FireWire-equipped digital audio workstation.

Using the high-bandwidth, industry-standard FireWire (IEEE1394) protocol, ProFire Lightbridge gives your DAW up

to 34 audio inputs and 36 outputs while connecting to your computer via a single cable. This makes it perfect for

multi-channel transfers to and from external multitrack recorders. ProFire Lightbridge is also ideal for linking your

DAW to an external digital mixer, or for connecting to another computer hosting soft synths and signal processors.

This manual will explain the features and operation of ProFire Lightbridge. Even if you are an experienced recording

enthusiast, please take a moment to read this guide and familiarize yourself with all of the unique features of your

ProFire Lightbridge.

What’s in the Box

Your ProFire Lightbridge package contains each of the following:

< ProFire Lightbridge audio interface

< Printed Quick Start Guide

< M-Audio FireWire Series CD-ROM

< FireWire 400 6-pin cable – 6 ft.

< FireWire 400 4-pin cable – 6 ft.

< 12V DC 1A power supply

ProFire Lightbridge User Guide

ProFire Lightbridge is a 1U, half-rack audio interface

designed to greatly expand the power of your

digital studio. It provides a total of 34 digital inputs and

outputs plus two analog outputs over a single FireWire

connection. The interface’s four optical inputs, four

optical outputs, and S/PDIF input and output let you

connect all of your digital gear to your Windows or Mac

computer and send and receive audio from all of these

devices at the same time.

If your Windows PC is not equipped with a native FireWire

port, you can purchase a FireWire add-on card at any

computer electronics retailer. All compatible Macintosh

computers have built-in FireWire ports.

Each of the ProFire Lightbridge interface’s optical I/O

ports can transmit multiple channels of digital audio

using the ADAT Optical Standard. This format supports

eight channels of audio when operating at a sampling

rate of 44.1 or 48kHz, or four channels of high-resolution

audio at 88.2 or 96kHz using S/MUX mode. Two

channels of S/PDIF I/O are also provided via coaxial

RCA connectors, as well as two channels of balanced

analog outputs on 1/4” TRS connectors. By default, the

analog outputs will mirror the S/PDIF outputs; however,

the analog outputs can be conﬁ gured as independent

outputs via the software control panel. Finally, ProFire

Lightbridge has a front-panel headphone output with its

own dedicated level control.

This interface includes a multitude of word clock

synchronization options and can operate as either a clock

master or slave. As a word clock slave, the interface can

sync to a digital source from any of its optical or S/PDIF

inputs. Furthermore, the interface can sync to incoming

word clock via its BNC word clock input, or output word

clock via the BNC output.

ProFire Lightbridge is also equipped with on-board MIDI

I/O ports, enabling you to connect your MIDI-compatible

devices to your DAW through the interface. Use these

ports to hook up a MIDI controller keyboard, synth

module, or to input/output MIDI Time Code (MTC) to

synchronize your hardware or software sequencer.

IMPORTANT: ProFire Lightbridge comes with premium

six-pin-to-six-pin and four-pin-to-six-pin FireWire cables.

We strongly suggest you use one of these cables to

connect the interface to your computer. If you must use

another FireWire cable, please use a high-quality cable

to ensure optimum audio performance. If your computer

is equipped with a six-pin interface, use the six-pin-to-

six-pin cable; if your computer has a four-pin interface,

use the four-pin-to-six-pin cable.

Note that when using the four-pin cable, the external

power supply must be used. However, a six-pin cable

draws power from the FireWire bus and therefore does

not require the power supply.

NOTE: Some computer manufacturers may use a different

nomenclature to refer to their FireWire connections, such

as Sony’s “iLink,” or simply “1394.” These connectors

are compatible with ProFire Lightbridge.

About ProFire Lightbridge

M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge User Guide

ProFire Lightbridge Features

< Four ADAT optical Lightpipe inputs and outputs

< Two channels of coaxial S/PDIF I/O

< Stereo balanced 1/4” analog outputs with dedicated level control

< All 34 inputs and 36 outputs can be used simultaneously

< Front-panel stereo headphone output with dedicated level control

< Optical ports are S/MUX capable for high-resolution audio

< Supports sample rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96kHz at up to 24-bit resolution

< 16 channels of MIDI I/O

< Word clock I/O on BNC connectors

< Activity LEDs show enabled ports and valid data at the optical I/O ports

< Sample rate LED indicators

< Word clock source LED indicators

< MIDI I/O LED indicators

< External power supply input

ProFire Lightbridge User Guide

System Requirements

Minimum System Requirements

16 channels of ADAT Lightpipe at 16-bit/44.1kHz

Windows:

Pentium IV 1.8 GHz

512 MB RAM

7200 rpm HD (8 MB buffer)

Available FireWire port or FireWire expansion card

Windows XP (SP2)

Macintosh:

Power Mac G4 1 GHz

(G4 accelerator cards not supported)

512 MB RAM

7200 rpm HD (8 MB buffer)

Native FireWire port

Mac OS X 10.3.9 / 10.4.7

Recommended System Requirements

32 channels of ADAT Lightpipe at 24-bit/48kHz or 16 channels of ADAT Lightpipe S/MUX at 24-bit/

96kHz

Windows:

Pentium IV 2.8 GHz

1 GB RAM

7200 rpm HD (16 MB buffer)

Available FireWire port or FireWire expansion card

Windows XP (SP2)

Macintosh:

Power Mac G5 Dual 1.8 GHz

1 GB RAM

7200 rpm HD (16 MB buffer)

Available FireWire port

Mac OS X 10.3.9 / 10.4.7

M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge User Guide

Controls and Connectors

Front Panel

1. Headphone Output – Accepts a standard 1/4” stereo headphone connector. This output always mirrors

the analog line output. The headphone level is independent of the line output level, and is controlled by

the headphone level knob (2).

2. Headphone Level – Controls the volume level of the Headphone Output jack (1).

3. Output Level – Controls the output level of the rear panel analog Line Outputs (16).

4. Sample Rate Indicator LEDs – These LEDs display the sample rate of the current digital input signal,

showing 44.1kHz or 48kHz. When the Sample Rate Multiplier LED (5) is lit, the sample rate indicated by

these LEDs is doubled to 88.2kHz or 96kHz.

5. Sample Rate Multiplier LED – This LED is used in conjunction with the Sample Rate Indicator LEDs

(4) to display the sample rate of the current digital input signal. When the Sample Rate Multiplier LED is

lit, the sample rate shown by the Sample Rate Indicator LEDs (4) is doubled.

6. Sync Source LEDs – These LEDs light to indicate the master word clock synchronization source. The

available sources are: internal word clock, external word clock via BNC input, optical input, or S/PDIF

input. The associated LED will light steadily if the interface is receiving a valid clock signal, or it will ﬂash

if the interface is receiving a faulty signal.

7. MIDI Indicator LEDs – These LEDs light to indicate activity at the MIDI input and output ports.

8. Optical I/O Activity Indicator LEDs – When lit, these LEDs indicate the presence of a valid digital

audio signal at the associated input or output.

9. Power LED – This LED illuminates when the unit is powered on.

10. Power Switch – Turns ProFire Lightbridge on and off.

ProFire Lightbridge User Guide

Rear Panel

11. Power Supply Connector – Connect the 12V DC 1A power supply here. Use only the power supply

provided with the interface or an equivalent power supply with the same rating and polarity.

If you are using the six-pin-to-six-pin FireWire cable to attach ProFire Lightbridge to your computer, the

interface will draw power from your host computer. It is recommend that you leave the power supply

disconnected while operating ProFire Lightbridge on a bus-powered 6-pin FireWire port.

NOTE: Your computer’s 6-pin FireWire port may not be able to supply adequate power to ProFire

Lightbridge if additional devices, such as external FireWire harddisks, are powered through the same

FireWire port. Also, 6-pin FireWire ports on PCMCIA FireWire expansion cards for laptops are generally

not bus powered. Use the power supply or connect the ProFire Lightbridge to a different FireWire port

to remedy potential low power problems you may encounter.

12. Kensington Lock Connector – Connect a standard laptop-style locking security cable here to protect

your ProFire Lightbridge from theft or accidental breakage.

13 FireWire Port – Connect ProFire Lightbridge to your computer using one of the supplied FireWire

cables.

14. MIDI, S/PDIF, Word Clock Multi-Pin Connector – Connect the included breakout cable to this

multi-pin connector. The breakout cable provides the following connections:

• S/PDIF coaxial (RCA) digital input and output

• MIDI input and output connectors

• Word clock BNC input and output connectors

15. Optical Inputs and Outputs – Each of these optical inputs and outputs can support eight channels of

digital audio at 44.1 or 48kHz, or four channels of digital audio at 88.2 or 96kHz.

NOTE: These inputs and outputs do not support the two-channel S/PDIF optical format.

16. Line Outputs – These 1/4” TRS connectors output a balanced, line-level analog signal.

By default, these outputs mirror the S/PDIF digital output, but can be conﬁgured in the control panel to

appear as an independent set of outputs for your DAW. The analog line outputs’ signal level is controlled

by the front-panel Output Level Control knob (3).

NOTE: The Headphone Output (1) always mirrors the signal that is coming out of the Line Outputs.

M-Audio ProFire Lightbridge User Guide

Driver Installation

For detailed instructions on installing ProFire Lightbridge drivers, please refer to the printed Quick

Start Guide.

IMPORTANT: Do not connect ProFire Lightbridge to your computer until you have installed the driver ﬁles. If

you have already connected the interface to your computer, please disconnect it and follow the driver installation

instructions as detailed in the Quick Start Guide.

Hardware Connections

Audio

Connect your ADAT-optical digital audio devices to any of the four ADAT optical inputs and outputs of the ProFire

Lightbridge. The front-panel optical input activity indicator LEDs (8) light to show the presence of a valid digital

audio input signal. The front-panel output activity indicator LEDs (8) light to indicate the output of a valid digital audio

signal.

Attach the included breakout cable to the rear-panel multi-pin connector (14) and connect a S/PDIF digital audio

device to the S/PDIF ports on the breakout cable.

Connect the 1/4” analog outputs of ProFire Lightbridge to your mixer, powered monitors, or any other device with

line level inputs.

If you would like to use headphones, connect them to the 1/4” headphone output on the front panel of the

interface.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to check the word clock settings on all connected digital audio devices to make certain

there is only one sync master. For more information on word clock synchronization, see Chapter 11 below.

ProFire Lightbridge User Guide

MIDI

Connect a MIDI device to the MIDI I/O connectors on the breakout cable. The interface’s MIDI connection appears

as a standard MIDI data port in your audio workstation software. This connection can be used to connect any MIDI

compatible synthesizer, drum machine, or controller to your computer. Alternatively, this connection can be used to

input and output MIDI Time Code (MTC) and other synchronization formats for locking to a hardware or software

sequencer.

Word Clock

Connect a valid word clock generator or other word clock-compatible device to the word clock BNC connectors on

the breakout cable. This connection can be used to synchronize with any word clock-enabled device.

Using ProFire Lightbridge

Depending on your DAW software, the inputs and outputs of the ProFire Lightbridge will appear in your program

as multiple stereo pairs, typically in blocks of eight. Some applications label these as “Input 1/2,” “Input 3/4,”

etc., while others may refer to them as “Input 1L,” “Input 1R,” etc. In some applications, ProFire Lightbridge will be

recognized as a single, multichannel device, while others may “see” it as multiple separate devices (e.g., “Device A”

being the ﬁrst bank of eight I/O, “Device B” being the second bank of eight I/O, etc.).

The ProFire Lightbridge interface’s control panel gives you the option of enabling and disabling various digital ports.

Disabling unused ports helps cut down on the processing demands placed on your computer. These options vary

depending on whether you use a Mac OS X- or Windows XP-based computer:

Macintosh: On OS X, all inputs and outputs can be individually enabled or disabled. Once a port is disabled,

that port will not appear in any of your audio applications.

Windows: On Windows XP, digital inputs can be enabled or disabled individually, while all output ports

remain active. Your audio software will display all inputs and outputs regardless of each port’s status, but any

audio received on inactive input ports will be ignored.

NOTE: This is normal behavior for this device on this platform due to the way Windows currently handles

enabling and disabling of audio channels.

You can conserve signiﬁcant amounts of processing power by enabling and disabling digital ports wisely.

For example, if you currently only own one ADAT device, disabling the unused ports allows you to free up

processing power for other tasks such as running additional virtual instruments. Alternatively, when mixing

a project, you might not require any inputs, but may want to run many plug-in effects. Temporarily disabling

unused ports will free up your computer’s processing power to help run those plug-ins.

Information on conﬁguring the interface can be found in Chapter 10.

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