Magma DVD Recorder MDR 24 96 User Manual

MMDDRR 2244

MDR 24/96

MMDDRR 2244

QUICK START GUIDE

24 TRACK/24 BIT, DIGITAL AUDIO HARD DISK RECORDER

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Contents

Introduction ----------------------------4

Save your Box!-------------------------------- 4

How To Use This Guide --------------------- 4

Conventions ---------------------------------- 5

About “Tape” --------------------------------- 5

Overview -------------------------------------- 6

Appendix A: Compatible Cables ----39

Analog and Digital Multitrack Cables ----39

Other Cables---------------------------------- 40

Troubleshooting and service --------42

Notes-------------------------------------43

Setup & Configuration----------------7

Required Equipment ------------------------ 7

Please write your serial number here for future

reference:

Installation------------------------------------ 7

I/O Cards & Cables ------------------------------- 8

Sync Card & Cables - Word Clock and Digital

Synchronization-------------------------------- 10

Mackie Media (Optional) ----------------------- 12

Remote 24 / Remote 48 (Optional) ---------- 13

Footswitch (Optional) --------------------------- 13

Power-Up -------------------------------------- 13

Purchased at:

Date Of Purchase:

Configuration--------------------------------- 14

I/O Cards------------------------------------------- 14

Synchronization ---------------------------------- 16

Hookups ----------------------------------------18

Analog Hookup (AIO•8) ------------------------- 18

TDIF Hookup (DIO•8) ---------------------------- 20

ADAT Optical Hookup (DIO•8 or OPT•8) ---- 22

AES/EBU Hookup (PDI•8) ----------------------- 25

MDR24/96 Operation ----------------27

Opening Projects ---------------------------- 27

Time Display ---------------------------------- 28

Basic Transport Operations ----------------28

Locate Points and Looping----------------- 29

Track Editing ---------------------------------- 30

Cut / Join ------------------------------------------ 30

Copy ------------------------------------------------- 30

Paste / Insert-------------------------------------- 30

Undo / Redo -------------------------------------- 30

Creating Projects ---------------------------- 31

Monitoring ------------------------------------ 32

Metering and Setting Record Levels----- 33

Recording ------------------------------------- 34

Footswitch Operation ---------------------- 35

Delete Last ------------------------------------ 36

Saving Projects --------------------------------36

Project Backup / Restore ------------------ 37

Purge Audio ------------------------------------38

Manual Part No. 0000107 Rev. A1 08/01

Printed in the U.S.A.

Quick Start Guide

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Introduction

Save your Box!

Uncle Jeff’s Bottom Ten Reasons to Save the Box:

10. You think boxes grow on trees?

9. It’s actually a time capsule, packed with a biological code that can’t be

decrypted until 2043.

8. Its festive graphics will cheer up those other boxes forgotten in your

attic.

7. Impress your friends: tape it up and pretend that you actually have two

MDR24/96s.

6. If you throw it away, bad people will know you have a studio in your

house.

5. Someday, when paper costs more than steel, it could net you a fortune.

4. The MDR24/96 itself only costs $47.95. The balance is what you paid for

the box.

3. Properly sealed, it can be used as a flotation device in the unlikely event

of a water landing.

2. It’s a great place to hide your old digital 8-track recorder.

1. If you collect ten MDR24/96 boxes, Greg will come over for dinner (this

offer does not apply to dealers or distributors).

In the unlikely event that you should need to send the MDR24/96 back to Mackie

for service, please use the shipping box it came in. This box has been specially

designed to minimize damage to the MDR24/96 during shipping, so that it won’t

end up more broken than when you sent it.

How To Use This Guide

Welcome to the cutting edge of affordable multitrack recording and editing! We

know you’re feeling eager, but please take a few minutes and read this brief Quick

Start Guide before you jump into your first MDR24/96 session. The first part of

this guide explains how to install and configure the various MDR24/96 I/O cards

and connect the MDR24/96 to an analog or digital console. The second part

describes how to start a session, operate the basic transport and monitoring

controls, and explains the terms and conventions used to name, store, and retrieve

projects on disk.

We have purposely excluded all the extra stuff from this guide to give you just the

basic information you need to get going right away. For step-by-step tutorials, in-

depth feature descriptions, and endless technical details, see the MDR24/96

Technical Reference Manual on the companion CD-ROM. Updated manuals and the

latest software releases can be obtained via Mackie’s website at:

www.mackie.com.

MDR 24/96

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Conventions

The MDR24/96 Quick Start Guide uses the following conventions to help you find

information quickly:

Text Conventions

a) File or folder names (example: C:\HDR Projects\Ode To Masters\Ode

To Masters.hdr)

b) Software or hardware controls (example: Punch)

c) Proper names of objects in GUI or front/rear panel (example: Transport)

Icons

This icon identifies in-depth explanations of features and practical tips. Though

not required reading, they do offer some choice tidbits of knowledge that will

leave you wiser for the reading.

This icon identifies information that is critically important to the operation of the

MDR24/96. So for your own sake, please read these sections.

About “Tape”

No, you’re not reading the wrong manual. Our goal was to build a hard disk

recorder that is comfortable for someone familiar with tape recording, but that

doesn’t require you to get a brain transplant from a computer geek to use. When

familiar terms such as Tape Inputs, Tape Returns, Transport, and the like are

applied to the MDR24/96, they mean exactly what you expect them to mean.

Where the well-worn shoe fits, we continue to wear it.

Quick Start Guide

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Overview

By combining traditional multitrack tape recording features with the power and

flexibility of hard disk recording, the Mackie Designs MDR24/96 takes multitrack

recording to a level never before achieved by a product in its price range. In

addition to the standard battery of traditional tape-based features, the MDR24/96:

• Combines the familiarity of a multitrack tape machine with the security of

non-destructive recording and non-degrading recording media.

• Records simultaneously on all 24 tracks at 44.1 or 48 kHz and on 12

tracks at 88.2 or 96 kHz. At 48 kHz the internal hard drive stores over

2200 track-minutes of 24-bit audio (90 minutes of 24 full tracks). That’s

more than six reels of 2” tape at 30 inches per second! At 96 kHz the drive

stores 1100 track-minutes of 24-bit audio (45 minutes of 24 full tracks).

• Has eight Virtual Takes per track, allowing you to record multiple passes

without having to change routing and bussing assignments or use

additional tracks.

• Iinterfaces with any analog or digital console. The MDR24/96 uses the

same I/O cards as the Mackie Digital 8•Bus console: the AIO•8 (24-bit

analog A/D and D/A), DIO•8 (TDIF/ADAT Optical), PDI•8 (AES/EBU),

and low-cost OPT•8 (ADAT Optical).

• Provides three convenient methods of backup: Mackie Media M•90, a

removable hard drive (also capable of 24-track recording and playback),

Mackie Media PROJECT, a removable drive using inexpensive, removable

2.2 GB ORB cartridges; and data transfer to another computer through the

MDR24/96’s 100 Base-T Ethernet port via the built-in FTP server.

• Offers two optional remote control devices – the compact Remote 24 for

smaller project studios, and the full-featured Remote 48 for controlling up

to 48 tracks on two MDR24/96 recorders.

Meter Display

Status Display

Current

LCD Display

Record Ready

Time Display

HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO

44.1/48/96K SAMPLE RATES

MDR24/96

24TRACK/24BIT DIGITAL AUDIO HARD DISK RECORDER

HOURS

MINUTES

SECONDS

FRAMES

44.1k

48k

96k

VARI 16 BIT 24 BIT

ERROR TC CLOCK

BARS

BEATS

TICKS

PROJECT: Little love

PLAYLIST: Playlist 1

DRIVE: C:Internal

AVAIL: 01:35:00

SELECT

REC

LOOP

1–2

REC

SAFE

ALL

INPUT

AUTO

INPUT

AUTO

TAKE

T-CODE

CHASE

TRACK/

EDIT

DELETE LAST

PROJECT BACKUP DISK UTIL SYSTEM DIGI-I/O

SYNC

DEC

INC

LOC

STORE

POWER

REWIND

FAST FWD

STOP

PLAY

RECORD

System Control

LCD Control

Media Tray

Floppy Drive

Transport

Locate &

Loop

Auto Take &

Time code

Chase

Monitoring &

Record Safe

MDR 24/96

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Setup & Configuration

This chapter explains how to set up and configure the MDR24/96 for use in your

studio. Two application examples show how to interface the MDR24/96 with

analog and digital recording consoles.

Required Equipment

Of course, there’s more to a studio than a recorder and some musicians. At a

minimum, you’ll need the following to make the MDR24/96 feel at home:

• 3 Mackie 8-channel I/O (input/output) cards.

• A console with a minimum of 24 tape sends (busses or direct outputs) and

returns (line inputs or monitor returns). If your analog console has only 8

tape sends, use Y-cord splitters to send tape out 1 to MDR24/96 Inputs 1,

9 and 17; tape out 2 to MDR24/96 Inputs 2, 10, and 18, and so forth.

• Cables to connect the MDR24/96 to the console: 3 or 6 multi-channel

snakes or fiber optic cables, depending on your I/O setup.

• All the stuff that typically connects to a console: microphones,

instruments, outboard equipment, control room monitors, and so on.

Installation

This section describes how to install the I/O cards and how to connect the

MDR24/96 to your console. Before you begin, you should choose a location for

your MDR24/96 considering the following:

• If you’re not using the Remote 24, or Remote 48, position the front panel

within convenient reach of your normal recording/mixing position. Be

aware that although analog and AES/EBU cables can be fairly long, TDIF

Optical and Remote 24/Remote 48 cables are limited to about 10 meters.

ADAT Optical cables can reach up to about 15 meters.

• The MDR24/96 requires a reliable AC power source with a good ground.

Do not use a ground lift adapter or plug the MDR24/96 into an

ungrounded receptacle. Remember, this is a computer. Using an

uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to power the MDR24/96 is a good idea

to avoid an unexpected shutdown and protect it from transient line

voltages.

Warning!

Before applying power to the MDR24/96, make sure that the Voltage Selector

switch next to the AC inlet jack on the rear panel is set to the line voltage used

in your region. Powering-on the MDR24/96 with the Voltage Selector switch

set incorrectly will cause an electrical and fire hazard that may result in

irreparable damage to the unit.

Quick Start Guide

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I/O Cards & Cables

While the MDR24/96 ships with AIO•8 cards already installed, three other flavors

of I/O cards are also available. All I/O cards can be mixed and matched in any

combination.

AIO•8

ANALOG I/O

AIO•8

• Each AIO•8 provides 8 analog line-level inputs and outputs on two 25-pin

D-subminiature (DB25) connectors. These connectors are pin-for-pin

DIO•8

compatible with the analog (not TDIF) DB25 connectors found on the

TASCAM DTRS recorders. DB25 cables that break out to XLR or 1/4” TRS

connectors for mating with your console are readily available.

APOGEE

DIGITAL I/O

DIO•8

• Each DIO•8 provides 8 digital inputs and outputs in two formats:

1. TASCAM Digital Interface (TDIF) provides 8 input and output channels

of digital audio on a single DB25 connector. It requires a TASCAM

PW-88D or equivalent TDIF-compatible cable.

OPT•8

2. ADAT Optical provides 8 channels of digital audio on fiber-optic cable.

Two optical cables are required for each card, one for inputs, the other

for outputs. Both cables must connect to the same device, creating a

closed loop.

3. The DIO•8 also provides a TDIF word clock sync output for use with

older TASCAM equipment.

PDI•8

OPT• 8

• The OPT•8 is a low-cost, ADAT Optical-only version of the DIO•8 card.

The previous ADAT information also applies to this card.

PDI• 8

• Each PDI•8 carries four stereo pairs (eight channels) of digital input and

output on a single DB25 connector. This card supports the AES/EBU

(IEC-958 Type 1) digital interfacing standard carrying two channels of

digital audio on a single balanced cable. The PDI•8 can also be configured

for the consumer (IEC-958 Type 2, or S/PDIF) data format if required.

DB25 cables that break out to XLR connectors, and double-ended DB25 to

DB25 AES/EBU cables for mating with your console, are readily available.

PDI• 8

The PDI•8 is the only Mackie I/O card that currently supports 88.2 or 96

kHz operation. At these Sample Rates the PDI•8 card runs in “double-

wide” (dual-wire) mode. In double-wide mode, the PDI•8 carries four mono

channels of digital I/O by transmitting two consecutive 88.2/96k samples

of the same channel on a single conductor.

Note: Different manufacturers use different wiring standards for DB25 in-

terface cables (both analog and digital) that otherwise look the same. Make

sure the cable you are using is the correct one. See Appendix A for a list of

compatible MDR24/96 I/O card cables.

MDR 24/96

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To replace the AIO-8 cards with different I/O cards:

1. If the MDR24/96 is plugged into AC power, unplug it.

2. Unscrew the thumbscrews at the top and bottom of each I/O card to be

removed. Grasp one thumbscrew with each hand and gently pull the card

out.

ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O

TAPE IN/OUTS

3. Before you take I/O cards from their bags, touch a grounded metal object

to discharge any static electricity from your body.

4. Remove the new I/O card from its anti-static bag and put the I/O

card you just removed from the MDR24/96 into the bag.

5. Hold the new card so the component side

faces left and line up the top and bottom

edges with the white card guides. Push the

card all the way into the slot until its

faceplate is flush with the back panel.

6. Hand-tighten the thumbscrews at the top

and bottom of the card. Do not use a

screwdriver.

If you want to hook up the MDR24/96 I/O cables

to your console right now, see the console hookup

diagrams in Hookups. Be sure to come right back

here when you’re done.

Note: Always hand tighten the thumbscrews

at the top and bottom of all I/O cards be-

fore operating the MDR 24/96.

Quick Start Guide

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Sync Card & Cables - Word Clock and Digital Synchronization

The Sync Card provides ports to synchronize the MDR24/96’s sample clock and

time/transport position to other equipment. The functions of the jacks and switch,

from top to bottom are:

• SMPTE Input / Output – This 1/4” TRS jack serves as an input when

slaved to incoming SMPTE time code, and as an output when generating

SMPTE time code to synchronize other devices with the MDR24/96.

SMPTE Input/

Output

• Termination Switch – This pushbutton switch selects the termination

impedance of the Word Clock / Video Input jack. When the switch is out,

the impedance is 3.3kΩ (bridging); when in, the impedance is 75Ω

(terminated).

Termination

Switch

Word Clock/

Video Input

• Word Clock / Video Input – This BNC jack receives either word clock,

composite video, or video blackburst as determined by the MDR24/96

Sample Clock setting. Use this input when the MDR24/96 is operating as a

word clock slave.

Word Clock

Output

SYNC

• Word Clock Output - This BNC jack transmits word clock to other devices

in the system when the MDR24/96 is configured as the clock master.

Whenever digital audio connections are made between devices, the sample clock

of every device must run at exactly the same rate. This is usually accomplished by

selecting one device as the “master” clock source and distributing its word clock

signal to all the “slave” devices in the system. The master is configured to run

from its internal clock, and the slaves from external word clock. Some digital

interfaces are self-clocking (such as the AES input on many DAT machines) and

do not require a separate work clock connection. Others simply cannot be

configured as slaves. The master/slave designation must be correctly made for

each device to avoid the clicks and pops associated with asynchronous clocks.

Whenever time code (positional) synchronization is used, all the devices in a

system, both analog and digital, must be synchronized to a common timing (speed)

reference. This is often achieved by distributing video from a master video sync

generator (sometimes called “house sync”) to all the slave devices in the system

when word clock cannot otherwise be used. The MDR24/96, like many other

digital devices, can synchronize its sample clock to a video signal. However, video

does not provide enough timing precision to properly synchronize devices whose

digital audio paths are interconnected; word clock must be used instead.

Generally it doesn’t matter which device in a system serves as the word clock

master, except when synchronizing to time code or video. For example, if your

MDR24/96 Inputs and Outputs are connected to the Tape Inputs and Outputs of a

Mackie Digital 8•Bus console using TDIF, either the MDR24/96 or D8B can be the

word clock master. However, if you later synchronize the MDR24/96 to time code

from a VTR, you must lock the VTR and MDR24/96 to a master video sync source

and lock the D8B (which can’t sync to video) to word clock from the MDR24/96.

In this case the MDR24/96 becomes both a video slave and a word clock master.

For more detailed information on setups involving video and time code

synchronization, see the Technical Reference manual.

Note: For audio-for-video applications, the MDR24/96 can lock its word clock to

a video signal. In this configuration, there must be only one word clock depen-

dent device (The MDR24/96) locked to the video source. The MDR24/96 then

becomes the word clock master for the other digital devices in the system (for

example, a digital mixing console). Do not attempt to lock multiple digital de-

vices to the video signal, or you’ll get clicks.

MDR 24/96

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The following are recommended setups for establishing proper sample clock

synchronization with the devices connected to the MDR24/96 digital I/O cards.

TDIF (DIO•8)

With the MDR24/96 as a master, connect Word Clock Out of the MDR24/96

to Word Clock In on the receiving device(s). If connecting to older TASCAM

DTRS recorders, use the Sync Out port on the first DIO•8 card instead of

Word Clock Out. If there is more than one DTRS recorder in the chain,

connect Sync Out to the word clock input of the first DTRS recorder only; the

other recorders are synchronized through their interconnecting DTRS cables.

With the MDR24/96 operating as a slave to another TDIF device, connect the

word clock output from the master TDIF device to Word Clock In on the

MDR24/96.

ADAT Optical (DIO•8, OPT•8)

With the MDR24/96 as a master, set the receiving device(s) to derive sample

clock from their ADAT Optical ports if the ports are self-clocking. In this

case, no word clock connection is necessary. If the ADAT Optical ports on the

receiving devices are not self-clocking, connect Word Clock Out of the

MDR24/96 to Word Clock In on the receiving device(s).

With the MDR24/96 configured as a slave, connect the word clock out of the

master ADAT Optical device to Word Clock In on the MDR24/96.

AES/EBU (PDI•8)

With the MDR24/96 as a master, set the receiving device(s) to derive their

sample clock from the AES/EBU ports if the ports are self-clocking. In this

instance, no word clock connection is necessary. If the AES/EBU ports on the

receiving device(s) are not self-clocking, connect Word Clock Out of the

MDR24/96 to Word Clock In of the receiving device(s).

With the MDR24/96 as a slave, connect the word clock out of the master

AES/EBU device to Word Clock In on the MDR24/96.

Note: Use 75 Ω coaxial cables when con-

Word Clock to

other Slaves

necting word clock or video to the Sync

Termination

Card Word Clock/Video input jack. If the

MDR24/96 is at the end of a cable that’s

connected to several devices, push the

Termination Switch in; otherwise leave it

out and use a BNC Tee adapter to feed the

signal on to the next device in the chain.

Switch

BNC-Tee

adaptor

Word clock

input jack

SYNC

Word Clock

From Master

Note: If you are using an MDR24/96 with the Mackie Digital

8•Bus console, you may need to turn on the Digital 8•Bus first.

The Clock I/O on the D8B prefers not to see an active signal at

its Word Clock input when it powers up.

Quick Start Guide

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Mackie Media (Optional)

The MDR24/96 emulates the tape library tradition with Mackie Media M•90 and

Mackie Media PROJECT drives. Both drives come complete with a plug-in tray for

quick removal and a nifty storage case for shelving and transporting the drives.

Trays can be purchased separately if you want to use your own UDMA IDE drives.

The MDR24/96 can record or play directly off the M•90 so you can change

sessions as quickly as changing tape on a 24-track – no backup time required.

PROJECT drives are for backup only and use removable 2.2GB ORB cartridges that

fit in your pocket. Each can hold a couple of 5-minute 24-track masters.

HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO

MDR24/96

44.1/48/96K SAMPLE RATES

24TRACK/24BIT DIGITAL AUDIO HARD DISK RECORDER

Mackie Media Tray

HOURS

MINUTES

SECONDS

FRAMES

44.1k

48k

96k

VARI 16 BIT 24 BIT

ERROR TC CLOCK

BARS

BEATS

TICKS

PROJECT: Little love

PLAYLIST: Playlist 1

DRIVE: C:Internal

AVAIL: 01:35:00

SELECT

REC

Mackie Media

Receiver

LOOP

1–2

REC

SAFE

ALL

INPUT

AUTO

INPUT

AUTO

TAKE

-CODE

TRACK/

EDIT

LOC

STORE

DELETE LAST

PROJECT BACKUP DISK UTIL SYSTEM DIGI-I/O

SYNC

DEC

INC

CHASE

POWER

REWIND

FAST FWD

STOP

PLAY

RECORD

To install or remove a Mackie Media tray:

1. Power the MDR24/96 off whenever inserting or removing media trays.

If you have an active project, don’t forget to save it first!

2. To remove a drive, first unlock it by inserting the key and turning it a

quarter-turn counterclockwise. Two keys are packed with the recorder, and

one with each M•90 drive.

3. Lift the bail handle to release the drive, and pull it out of the drive bay.

4. To install a new M•90 or PROJECT drive, slide the media tray into the

front panel drive bay. Press it firmly into place, and latch it by pressing the

bail handle downward until it’s fully seated.

5. Insert the key into the lock and turn it a quarter-turn clockwise. The key

locks the drive into place and powers the tray.

6. The MDR24/96 will automatically detect the Mackie Media drive when you

next power it up.

Note: Mackie Media are hard drives, and as we all know, hard drives

involve some pretty intricate technology. So don’t shake the little

darlin’, and if a tray has just come in from a freezing car or airplane

cargo hold, do not install it until it has reached room temperature.

MDR 24/96

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Remote 24 / Remote 48 (Optional)

Installing either remote is as simple as plugging in a telephone. Connect one end

of the cable (supplied with the Remote) to the ‘REMOTE’ jack on MDR24/96 rear

panel, and the other end to the ‘TO HDR REMOTE JACK’ jack on the Remote 24,

or to the “TO HDR” jack on the Remote 48. It’s OK to plug or unplug either

Remote with the MDR24/96 powered on. However, if you plug the Remote 48 into

the MDR24/96 while both are powered on, you must power cycle the Remote 48 to

reset the connection.

Note: The Remotes

duplicate nearly all

of the front panel

operating controls.

When we describe a

front panel opera-

tion, you’ll probably

find it available on

the Remote also. If

you have a Remote,

try it both ways. If

you don’t have a Re-

mote yet, think of

how convenient it

would be.

Back panel of the

TO HDR/MDR

FOOT SW

REMOTE JACK

REMOTE 24

Mackie Remote 24

WARNING

DO NOT PLUG INTO

ETHERNET

Footswitch

Note: The MDR24/96 ‘REMOTE’ and Eth-

ernet jacks both accept CAT-5 Ethernet

cables - don’t get them mixed up!

Remote

connection

Footswitch

Ethernet Jack

ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O

TAPE IN/OUTS

Footswitch (Optional)

For hands-free do-it-yourself punches and other frequently-used functions like

Play/Stop, Punch In/Out and Take Select, connect the cable of a momentary,

normally open footswitch to the ‘FOOT SWITCH’ 1/4" TS jack on the rear panel of

the MDR24/96, the Remote 24, or Remote 48. If you have a Remote installed you

can connect two foot switches, one to the MDR24/96 and one to the Remote. Each

footswitch functions independently of the other. Footswitch functionality is

assigned in the front panel System menu. See the MDR24/96 Technical Reference

Manual for more details.

Note: If you are us-

ing an MDR24/96

with the Mackie

Digital 8•Bus con-

sole, you may need

to turn on the Digi-

tal 8•Bus first. The

Clock I/O on the

D8B prefers not to

see an active signal

at its Word Clock

input when it pow-

ers up.

Power-Up

OK, NOW you can turn it on. Assuming you have already connected the MDR24/96

to your console, power up the MDR24/96 first, then the outboard equipment and

console, and finally the power amplifiers or powered monitors. Audio equipment

tends to generate unexpected clicks and pops when you power it up, so by

powering up your monitoring system last, you’ll save your speakers and your ears.

Before you read the next section, take a quick, self-guided tour of the front panel

display and controls to get a sense of where they are.

Quick Start Guide

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Configuration

Before starting a Project, you will need to configure the MDR24/96 I/O card

options and synchronization parameters. These parameters determine where the

sample clock is coming from, how fast the sample clock runs, and how many bits

are recorded in every sample. Some options, like sample rate and bit depth, will

become “standards” that you won’t need to change very often. The remaining

synchronization options (for time code and video) are covered in detail in the

Technical Reference manual.

I/O Cards

Only the DIO•8 and PDI•8 cards require special configuration. If you are using

AIO•8 or OPT•8 cards only, you can skip to the next section.

DIO•8 Card

To set the DIO•8 input and output formats:

1. Press Digi I/O to enter

DIGITAL I/O Card Setup

the Digital I/O Card Setup

screen.

DIGI-I/O

Stat Rate

In Out Bits Convert

2. Select In.

The Setup Tape Inputs screen shows

(SETUP TAPE INPUTS)

you the current input settings for

each of the three I/O cards.

1-8 9-16 17-24

ADAT ADAT ADAT

3. Press the Select button

corresponding to each DIO•8 card

Note: The front

panel display’s back-

light switches off

after several min-

utes of inactivity. It’ll

come back on auto-

matically when it’s

needed to display

new information, but

you can revive it at

any time by pressing

either the Page Left

(<) or Page R i g h t

(> ) b u t t o n below

the display.

and toggle the selection between ADAT and TDIF.

4. Press the Page Left (<) button to return to the previous screen.

5. Now select Out.

The Setup Tape Outputs screen

(SETUP TAPE OUTPUTS)

shows you the current output

settings for each of the three I/O

1-8 9-16 17-24

cards.

ADAT ADAT ADAT

6. For each DIO•8 card present,

press the Select button to select the desired output format. Or, select

the TD–>AD or AD–>TD option to convert between formats, bypassing

the MDR24/96 tape signal path entirely.

7. When done, press Digi I/O to exit the menu.

MDR 24/96

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PDI•8 Card

The PDI•8 card options include sample rate conversion for each stereo AES/EBU

input, and status bit control (pro/consumer mode) for each output. When a PDI•8

card is first installed, its default settings are for sample rate conversion Off, and

channel status bits set to indicate the Pro (AES/EBU) format. In most

circumstances you won’t need to change these settings. However, if the device(s)

connected to the PDI•8 inputs cannot be made a clock master or slave (such as a

CD player with a digital out), enabling sample rate conversion on each affected

input will effectively re-clock the incoming data.

Occasionally you’ll run across a device that will not recognize the digital audio

output from the PDI•8 card. Changing the status bits on the affected output(s)

from Pro to Consumer (S/PDIF) may solve the problem.

Remember that with the AES/EBU format, channels come in pairs, so rather than

eight settings, you have four, one for each pair of channels.

To set the PDI•8 card options:

1. Press Digi I/O to enter the

DIGITAL I/O Card Setup

Digital I/O Card Setup

screen.

DIGI-I/O

Stat Rate

In Out Bits Convert

2. Select Rate Convert. The

Sample Rate Convert screen

shows you the Sample Rate

Conversion settings for inputs 1-8.

SAMPLE RATE CONVERT ->

3. Press the Select button

1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8

ON OFF OFF ON

corresponding to the desired input

channel(s) and toggle the selection.

On enables sample rate conversion,

Off disables it (default).

4. Press the Page Right (>) button to scroll to channels 9-16. Repeat the

procedure for channels 9-16 and 17-24. Press Page Left (<) until you

return to the Digital I/O Card Setup screen.

5. Select Stat Bits. The Setup Status

SETUP STATUS BITS

Bits screen shows you the current

Status Bit settings for outputs 1-8.

1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8

Pro Pro Pro Consu

6. Press the Select button

corresponding to the desired output

channel(s) to toggle the selection between Pro (default) and Consu.

7. Press the Page Right (>) button to scroll to channels 9-16. Repeat the

procedure for channels 9-16 and 17-24. Press Digi I/O to exit.

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Synchronization

Sample Clock

The Sample Clock setting determines the source of the MDR24/96 sample clock.

If the MDR24/96 is a clock master or is not connected to any other digital

device(s), set it to Internal. If the MDR24/96 is a word clock slave, set it to Word

Clock. The Video setting is discussed in the Technical Reference Manual.

The PDI·8 is the only

Mackie I/O card that

currently supports

88.2 or 96 kHz opera-

tion. Do not operate

the MDR24/96 at

Sample Rate

The Sample Rate determines how fast the MDR24/96 sample clock runs. Compact

Disks use a 44.1 kHz sample rate, while some DVD disks use 96 kHz. The video

production folks prefer 48 kHz because their digital video recorders use 48 kHz.

Even though the MDR24/96 supports four Sample Rates, you can only choose

between two at any given time. The range of available rates is determined by the

current Project’s Sample Rate mode. The Sample Rate mode determines whether

a Project will be a 24-track 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz Project, or a 12-track 88.2 kHz

or 96 kHz Project. To change the Sample Rate to a setting that is not available,

first create or open a Project with the desired Sample Rate mode.

these Sample Rates

with AIO·8, DIO·8, or

OPT·8 cards installed.

See Errata for more

information

Bit-Depth

The Bit Depth setting determines how many bits are contained in each audio

sample recorded to disk (the bit “resolution”). While 16-Bit audio takes up 1/3

less disk space than 24-Bit audio, 24-Bit audio offers the potential for greater

dynamic range (the difference between the softest and loudest sounds that can be

recorded) and captures a more accurate “image” of the sound.

You must still select

the MDR24/96’s

Word Clock Divisors (88.2/96 kHz operation only)

Sample Rate even if

it’s slaved to another

device’s clock. If you

don’t set it correctly,

the MDR24/96 time

display will run at

the wrong rate, even

though audio will

play at the right

Some devices that support double-wide AES at 88.2 and 96 kHz can only transmit

or receive word clock at 0.5x the Sample Rate. The Word Clock divisors determine

whether Word Clock In and Word Clock Out run at 1x or 0.5x the MDR24/96

Sample Rate. Both divisors can be set independently.

To configure the MDR24/96 synchronization settings:

1. Press Sync to enter the Sync Options menu. Select Sample Clock. Select

either Internal or Word Clock according to your setup using the (–)Dec /

(+)Inc or << / >> buttons.

speed.

2. Select OK to return to the

SYNC OPTIONS

Sample

[1]->

Sync Options menu.

Time Code

SYNC

3. Select Sample Rate. Using

the (–)Dec / (+)Inc or << /

>> buttons, set the Sample

Rate to 44.1 kHz or 48

Clock Rate Source Rate

kHz (88.2 kHz or 96 kHz). Select OK.

4. Move to the third page of the Sync Options menu with the Page Right (>)

button.

5. Select Bit Depth. Set the Bit

<- SYNC OPTIONS [3]

Depth to 16 Bit or 24 Bit using

the (–)Dec / (+)Inc or << / >>

buttons. Select OK.

Bit Generate TC

Depth SMPTE MTC Offset

MDR 24/96

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Sync Settings for 88.2/96 kHz operation only:

1. Move to the last page of the Sync

Options menu with the Page Right

(>) button. Select SR/2 In.

<- SYNC OPTIONS

[4]

Video SR/2 SR/2

Field In Out

2. Set the Word Clock Input divisor to

On or Off using the (–)Dec / (+)Inc

or << / >> buttons. Off selects 1x

operation, On selects 0.5x operation.

SAMPLE RATE/2 OUT

3. Select OK, then Select SR/2 Out and

set the Word Clock Output divisor to

On or Off.

<< >>

4. Select OK and press the Sync button to exit the menu.

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Hookups

This section shows how the MDR24/96 is typically connected to both analog and

digital consoles (using the Mackie Analog and Digital 8•Bus consoles as

examples). These examples assume that the rest of your studio equipment

(monitors, sound sources, outboard processing, etc.) is already connected, or that

you know how to connect it.

Before you begin, note how the three eight-channel I/O cards are arranged on the

MDR24/96 rear panel: 1-8 is on the left, 9-16 is in the center, and 17-24 is on the

right. Labeling each cable before you begin will make connecting the MDR24/96 to

your console easier.

The specific hookups for each MDR24/96 I/O card are shown below.

Note: If you are us-

ing a D8B console

with either DIO•8,

PDI•8, or OPT•8

cards installed, then

a Clock I/O card

Analog Hookup (AIO•8)

This example describes the hookup for the 24•8 analog console.

Cables & Hardware

(3) AIO•8 cards for MDR24/96

must also be in-

(6) Analog snakes, DB25 to eight 1/4” TRS phone plugs

stalled in the D8B to

properly synchro-

nize its word clock

with the MDR24/96.

Hookup

1. Connect three snakes to the MDR24/96 Inputs (bottom connector). If you

want to have the ability to route any console input to any recorder track,

then connect the 1/4” plugs on each of the three snakes to the like-

numbered Submaster / Tape Output jacks on the 8•Bus console. This

works as long as you don’t record more than 8-channels at a time, since

the Submaster Outputs 9-16 and 17-24 are the same as outputs 1-8.

Alternately, you can connect the console’s direct outputs to the recorder’s

inputs, so that each console channel feeds the like-numbered recorder

track. Or, you can use a combination of direct and subgroup outs. The

hookup diagram below shows the MDR24/96 inputs connected to the

Submaster Outputs.

MDR24/96 back panel

ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O

SYNC

ACC

ETHERNET

MIDI

20VAC

50/60 Hz 475W

TAPE IN/OUTS

TAPE RETURNS 1-8

1-8

9-16 17-24

ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O

TAPE RETURNS 9-16

TAPE RETURNS 17-24

24•8 SUBMASTER

/ TAPE OUTPUTS

TAPE IN/OUTS

MDR24/96 AIO Cards

MDR 24/96

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2. Connect three snakes to the MDR24/96 Outputs (top connector). Connect

the plug end of the snakes to the like-numbered Tape Return jacks on the

24•8 console.

MDR24/96 Settings

1. Set the Sample Clock to Internal.

2. Set the Sample Rate and Bit Depth according to your preference.

Console Settings

Set the 24•8 console to the nominal +4 dBu operating level by setting the

five Operating Level switches in the Sub Out and Tape Return sections to the

‘out’ position.

This example describes the hookup for the D8B console equipped for analog I/O.

MDR 24/96

Digital 8•Bus

AIO•8 Cards

(6) DB25 to

DB25 Analog

Snakes

ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O

Note: Some older

AIO•8 cards have

the Input jack la-

beled as “From

Tape” and the Out-

put jack labeled as

“To Tape.” Other-

wise, they operate

identically. Sigh ...

long story.

TAPE IN/OUTS

Cables & Hardware

(3) AIO•8 cards for MDR24/96

(3) AIO•8 cards for D8B

(6) DB25 to DB25 analog snakes

Hookup

1. Connect three snakes between the MDR24/96 Inputs (bottom connector)

and the corresponding D8B Tape Outputs (top connector).

2. Connect three snakes between the MDR24/96 Outputs (top connector)

and the corresponding D8B Tape Inputs (bottom connector).

MDR24/96 Settings

1. Set the Sample Clock to Internal.

2. Set the Sample Rate and Bit Depth according to your preference. It is

not necessary to set the D8B and MDR24/96 to the same Sample Rate,

since with analog connections, the sample clocks on the two units are not

synchronized

Console Settings

1. Set the D8B Sample Clock to 44.1 k Internal or 48 k Internal according

to your preference.

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TDIF Hookup (DIO•8)

Cables & Hardware

(3) DIO•8 cards for MDR24/96

(3) DIO•8 cards for D8B

(1) Clock I/O card for D8B

(3) TDIF cables

(1) 75 Ω BNC word clock cable

Hookup

1. Connect the three TDIF cables between the corresponding TDIF jacks on

the MDR24/96 and D8B.

2. When TDIF is used, the D8B must have a Clock I/O card installed. To

make the D8B the clock master, connect its Word Clock Out (not DIO•8

Sync out) to the MDR24/96 Word Clock In. To make the MDR24/96 the

clock master, connect its Word Clock Out to the D8B Word Clock In.

See Figure 1.

MDR24/96 Settings

1. Set the Tape Input format for each DIO•8 card to TDIF, and the Tape

Output format to TDIF.

2. If the MDR24/96 is the clock master, set the Sample Clock to Internal;

if it is a clock slave, set it to Word Clock and depress the 75 Ω

termination switch on the Sync card.

Note: Determining

which unit in Figure 1

provides the master

clock depends on your

application. For infor-

mation on advanced

applications, see the

Applications Manual.

3. Set the Sample Rate to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz according to your

preference.

Console Settings

1. Set the Tape Input and Tape Output format for each DIO•8 card to TDIF.

2. If the D8B is the clock master, set the Sample Clock to either 44.1 k

Internal or 48 k Internal; if it is a clock slave, set the Sample Clock to

either 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. Set the Sample Rate to match the Sample

Rate selected on the MDR24/96.

MDR 24/96

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TDIF Hookup with DIO•8

Apogee

Clock I/O

Card

DIO•8 Cards

TDIF Connection

APOGEE

SYNC

APOGEE

DIGITAL I/O DIGITAL I/O DIGITAL I/O

Word

Clock Out

Digital 8•Bus

AOPGE

TDIF Cables

(DB25)

Word

Clock In

Word

Clock Out

Word

Clock Out

(D8B as

Master)

MDR

Sync

Card

APOGEE

(MDR24/96

as Master)

DIGITAL I/O DIGITAL I/O DIGITAL I/O

Use one

only

Depress the

MDR 24/96

Termination

button if the

MDR24/96 is set

to Slave

TDIF Connection

DIO•8 Cards

Word

Clock In

Word

Clock Out

Figure 1

Note: The Word Clock

connections shown

here are the same for

Figure 2, 3 and 4.

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ADAT Optical Hookup (DIO•8 or OPT•8)

Cables & Hardware

(3) DIO•8 or OPT•8 cards for MDR24/96

(3) DIO•8 or OPT•8 cards for D8B

(1) Clock I/O card for D8B

(6) ADAT Optical cables

(1) 75Ω BNC word clock cable

Hookup

1. Connect three ADAT Optical cables from the MDR24/96 Optical Outputs to

the Optical Inputs on the corresponding D8B I/O cards.

2. Connect three ADAT Optical cables from the MDR24/96 Optical Inputs to

the Optical Outputs on the corresponding D8B I/O cards.

3. When ADAT Optical is used, the D8B must have a Clock I/O card

installed. To make the D8B the clock master, connect its Word Clock Out

to the MDR24/96 Word Clock In. To make the MDR24/96 the clock

master, connect its Word Clock Out to the D8B Word Clock In.

MDR24/96 Settings

1. If you have DIO•8 cards installed, set the Tape Input and Tape Output

format for each card to ADAT. OPT•8 cards need no configuration.

2. If the MDR24/96 is the clock master, set the Sample Clock to Internal; If

the MDR24/96 is a clock slave, set the Sample Clock to Word Clock and

depress the 75Ω termination button on the Sync card.

Note: Determining

which unit in Figures

2 & 3 provides master

clock depends on

3. Set the Sample Rate to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz according to your preference.

Console Settings

your application. For

information on ad-

vanced applications,

see the Technical

1. If you have DIO•8 cards installed, set the Tape Input and Tape Output

format for each card to ADAT. OPT•8 cards need no configuration.

2. If the D8B is the clock master, set the Sample Clock to either 44.1 k

Internal or 48 k Internal; if it is a clock slave, then set the Sample Clock

to either 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. Set the Sample Rate to match the Sample

Rate selected on the MDR24/96.

Reference manual.

MDR 24/96

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ADAT Optical Hookup with DIO•8

Apogee

Clock I/O

Card

DIO•8 Cards

APOGEE

SYNC

APOGEE

DIGITAL I/O DIGITAL I/O DIGITAL I/O

Word

Clock Out

ADAT Optical Out

ADAT Optical In

Digital 8 Bus

AOPGE

Word

Clock In

Word

Clock Out

Word

Clock Out

(D8B as

Master)

MDR

Sync

Card

APOGEE

DIGITAL I/O DIGITAL I/O DIGITAL I/O

(MDR24/96

as Master)

Use one

only

Depress the

MDR 24/96

Termination

button if the

MDR24/96 is set

to Slave

ADAT Optical Out

ADAT Optical In

Word

Clock In

Word

Clock Out

DIO•8 Cards

Figure 2

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ADAT Optical Hookup with OPT•8

OPT•8 Cards

Apogee

Clock I/O

Card

APOGEE

SYNC

Word

Clock Out

ADAT Optical Out

ADAT Optical In

Digital•8 Bus

AOPGE

Word

Clock In

Word

Clock Out

Word

Clock Out

(D8B as

Master)

MDR

Sync

Card

(MDR24/96

as Master)

ADAT Optical Out

Use one

only

Depress the

MDR 24/96

Termination

button if the

MDR24/96 is set

to Slave

ADAT Optical In

OPT•8 Cards

Word

Clock In

Word

Clock Out

Figure 3

MDR 24/96

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AES/EBU Hookup (PDI•8)

Cables & Hardware

(3) PDI•8 cards for MDR24/96

(3) PDI•8 cards for D8B

(1) Clock I/O card for D8B

(3) DB25 to DB25 AES/EBU snakes

(1) 75Ω BNC word clock cable

Hookup

1. Connect the three AES/EBU cables between the corresponding AES/EBU

connectors on the MDR24/96 and D8B.

2. When AES/EBU is used, the D8B must have a Clock I/O card installed. To

make the D8B the clock master, connect its Word Clock Out to the

MDR24/96 Word Clock In. To make the MDR24/96 the master, connect its

Word Clock Out to the D8B Word Clock In.

Note: Determining

which unit in Figure 4

provides master

MDR24/96 Settings

clock depends on

1. If the MDR24/96 is the clock master, set the Sample Clock to Internal; if

it is a clock slave, set the Sample Clock to Word Clock and depress the

75Ω termination switch on the Sync card.

your application. For

information on ad-

vanced applications,

see the Technical

2. Set the Sample Rate to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz according to your preference.

Reference manual.

Console Settings

1. If the D8B is the clock master, set the Sample Clock to either 44.1 k

Internal or 48 k Internal; if it is a clock slave, set the Sample Clock to

either 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. Set the sample rate to match the Sample Rate

selected on the MDR24/96.

OK, so we fibbed a little. You can use PDI•8 cards in the D8B without a Clock I/O

card installed, but doing so requires that you enable sample rate conversion on

both the D8B and the MDR24/96 in lieu of word clock synchronization. Sample

rate conversion results in a 4-bit loss in sample resolution that may degrade

the quality of the sound slightly. So, the moral of the story is that unless you

just blew your wad on a new guitar and are eating peanut butter sandwiches

until your next paycheck, go buy a Clock I/O card.

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AES/EBU Hookup with PDI•8

PDI•8 I/O Cards

Apogee

Clock I/O

Card

APOGEE

SYNC

PDI•8

Word

Clock Out

Digital 8•Bus

AOPGE

Word

Clock In

AES/EBU

Cables (DB25)

Word

Clock Out

Word

Clock Out

(D8B as

Master)

MDR

Sync

Card

PDI•8

(MDR24/96

as Master)

MDR 24/96

Use one

only

Depress the

Termination

button if the

MDR24/96 is set

to Slave

Word

Clock In

Word

Clock Out

PDI•8 I/O Cards

Figure 4

MDR 24/96

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MDR24/96 Operation

Now that you’ve finished installing and configuring the MDR24/96, you’re almost

ready to start your first Project. We still want you to read this entire guide, but we

already hear some of you shuffling and muttering. Okay, okay, okay... for the

terminally impatient, read this chapter, then you can go out and play with your

friends.

Note: The front

panel display

This section explains all you need to know to run a basic recording session:

opening and creating Projects, operating the Transport, setting levels, and

recording and overdubbing tracks. After you’re done recording, you will learn how

to back up your project to Mackie Media M•90 and Mackie Media PROJECT

drives.

blanks after several

minutes of being

idle. Pressing any

button below the

display will turn it

back on.

Because this section just touches on the basics of MDR24/96 operation, we

strongly recommend going through the Technical Reference manual to learn about

advanced MDR24/96 features like, Virtual Takes, FTP file transfer,

synchronization, and more.

Opening Projects

The MDR24/96 organizes audio files and session information into folders called

Projects. When the MDR24/96 boots up, it automatically opens the last Project

you worked on. We’ve included two demonstration Projects, Ode to Masters and

Little Bit of Love, to help you get familiar with the MDR24/96 right out of the box.

At this point, you should see the name of the demo Project in the LCD display.

To open a Project:

1. Press Project. In the Project

PROJECT MENU

[1]->

Files Menu, select Open.

2. Choose the drive you want to

open the Project on by selecting

either Internal or External from

the Select Source Drive screen

using the (–)Dec / (+)Inc or << /

>> buttons. The selection

New Open Save Delete

Select Source Drive

Internal

defaults to the drive containing

the currently open Project. Press

Next.

<< >>

3. Use the (–)Dec / (+)Inc or the

<< / >> buttons to select the

desired Project, then select Open.

Note: The front panel display blanks after

several minutes of being idle. Pressing any

button below the display turns back on.

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Basic Transport Operations

The MDR24/96 transport and recording controls are similar to those on most

multitrack tape recorders.

Play

Play puts the MDR24/96 into play from any state (as if you didn’t know).

Play also punches out of record and cancels master record standby while

leaving the Transport in play.

To put the Transport into play:

♦

REWIND

FAST FWD

STOP

PLAY

RECORD

Press Play.

Fast Wind

Rewind and Fast Forward put the MDR24/96 into fast wind mode from any

state. They behave just like those on a large multitrack recorder – when

pressed from stop, the “tape” rolls slowly at first, then accelerates to 20X

speed in a few seconds. Pressing either button a second or third time

increases the winding speed still further.

To put the Transport into fast wind:

♦

Press Rewind or Fast Forward one, two, or three times.

Stop

Stop brings the “tape” to an immediate halt. Stop also punches out of record

and cancels master record standby.

To stop the Transport:

♦

Press Stop.

Time Display

MDR 24/96 Front Panel

Current Time Display

HOURS

MINUTES

SECONDS

BEATS

FRAMES

TICKS

BARS

The Current Time display shows the exact position of the MDR24/96’s

“playback head”. Current Time is displayed in SMPTE time

(HH:MM:SS:Frames).

To change the Current Time:

♦

Use the Transport Play, Rewind, Fast Forward or Loc buttons.

MDR 24/96

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Locate Points and Looping

Locate points provide fast access to frequently used locations in your Project.

The MDR24/96 has two numbered Locates (two additional numbered Locates

are availible when using the Remote 24 or Remote 48). Storing a Locate point

saves the Current Time (Transport position) to the Locate button. Recalling a

Locate causes the Transport to jump to the stored time.

To recall a Locate point:

♦

Press Loc 1 or Loc 2 to jump to that point.

LOC 1

LOC 2

To store numbered Locate points:

Locate points can be stored either on the fly or when stopped.

1. Press Store. The Store light will blink to indicate that the MDR24/96

is ready to save a Locate point.

2. Press Loc1 or Loc 2 when the Transport is at the

desired time; the Store light will go out, indicating that

the point has been stored.

LOC 1

LOC 2

STORE

Locates 1 and 2 double as start and end points for looped playback. When

looping is enabled, playback cycles between the Loop Start and Loop End

points. The order of the Loop points does not matter. If Current Time is

outside the Loop points when playback starts, the transport jumps to the Loop

Start point; if it is between the Loop points, playback starts from Current

Time.

To enable Looping:

1. Press Loop 1-2 to enable looping.

2. Press Play to start loop playback.

LOOP

1–2

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Track Editing

The MDR24/96 features non-destructive Cut, Copy, and Paste editing.

Edit operations are performed on an "Area" defined by the range of time

between the Start and End points on selected track(s). Edit operations

are remembered in a 999-level History List so that every edit can be undone

and redone.

To perform an edit:

1. First press the

TRACK EDIT MENU [1]->

Track/Edit button,

then the button of

Undo-

TRACK/

EDIT

the desired edit

operation. The

Record Ready

Cut Copy Paste Redo

LEDs change to indicate

which Tracks are selected.

2. Press the Record Ready button(s)

corresponding to the Track(s) you

wish to edit.

REC

3. Press the Start and End buttons to

define the range of time you wish to

edit. You can set the Start and End

points in any Transport State.

START:00:02:17:12

END:00:02:20:04

(trackselect = record)

Start End Cut Join

SELECT

4. Press the desired edit button. You

cannot execute edit operations

while the Transport is moving.

5. After the edit operation, the Record Ready buttons and LEDs return

to their previous state.

Cut / Join

Cut cuts a "hole" in the selected Area

and copies the Area to the

START:00:02:17:12

Clipboard. Join performs a Cut and

then slides everything that occurs

after the End point forward in time to

fill the "gap" left buy the Cut, exactly

like splicing two ends of tape

together.

END:00:02:20:04

(trackselect = record)

Start End Cut Join

Copy

START:00:02:17:12

END:00:02:20:04

Copy copies the selected Area to the

Clipboard, but leaves the Project

unaffected.

(trackselect = record)

Start End Cancel Copy

Paste / Insert

Paste copies the contents of the

Clipboard Area into the Project

starting at the Start point and first

selected track. All audio in the

Clipboard replaces any existing

audio, and any blank space in the

Clipboard leaves existing audio

START:00:02:17:12

(trackselect = record)

Start

Paste Insert

unaffected. Insert splits the affected Area at the Start point and slides the

audio back in time to make a "hole" for the Clipboard. If the clipboard Area

MDR 24/96

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contains multiple tracks, the first track in the clipboard is placed onto the first

selected Track, and the remaining Tracks in the clipboard follow in order.

Undo Current

Command

Redo Prior

Command

Undo / Redo

Undo and Redo allow you to step

forward and backwards through your

editing changes. The History List

number lets you keep track of your

changes so that you can easily do A/B

comparisons of different edits.

undo:Paste

redo:Copy

#:32 Undo Redo Exit

The History List

Number

Creating Projects

Now that you have a few basics down, you’re ready to start recording. First, you’ll

need to create a new Project. Typically a Project is a song, radio spot, or sound

effects stem for a 10-minute film reel, but it could also be a live concert or an

entire symphony.

To create a new Project:

1. Press Project, then

PROJECT MENU

[1]->

select New. The

MDR24/96 asks if you

want to save the

currently open Project.

Press No to discard the

PROJECT

New Open Save Delete

changes you may have made to

the demo Project.

Select Source Drive

Internal

2. Choose the drive you want to

create the Project on by

selecting either Internal or

External from the Select

Destination Drive screen using

the (–)Dec / (+)Inc or << / >>

buttons. The selection defaults

<< >>

to the drive containing the currently open Project. Press Next.

3. Select either 44.1/48K or

Sample Rate Mode

88.2/96K from the Sample

Rate Mode screen using the

(–)Dec / (+)Inc or << / >>

buttons. The Sample Rate

mode determines whether

your project will be a 24-

track Project at 44.1 or 48

44.1/48K

<< >>

kHz, or a 12-track Project at 88.2 or 96 kHz. Once a Project is created the

Sample Rate mode cannot be changed. Press Next.

4. The name “Project#1” appears

Enter A Project Name:

on the left side of the LCD

screen. A pointer (“v”) appears

above the first character of the

name to indicate that you can

change that character. Press the

(–)Dec / (+)Inc buttons to select

the character you want in that position. Select the >> button to move the

pointer to the next character.

Project#1

<< >> New Cancel

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5. When you’ve completed

the Project name, select

New to create the

PROJECT: Project#1

PLAYLIST: Playlist 1

DRIVE: C:Internal

AVAIL: 01:35:00

Project and exit.

Your new project is now

open; the Active Drive, Project Name, and Playlist Name are shown in the

LCD display and in the GUI above the Current Time display.

In the MDR24/96 and HDR24/96, Playlists are that part of a Project that keeps track of all of your record-

ing and editing, and controls what you hear when you hit Play. The HDR24/96 supports multiple Playlists

while the MDR24/96 supports only one. If an HDR24/96 Project is played back on the MDR24/96, the

MDR24/96 will play back the last Playlist saved in the HDR24/96 Project.

Monitoring

The Monitor Mode buttons determine what you hear from the MDR24/96 Tape

Outputs. The MDR24/96 offers several familiar monitoring modes to facilitate

rehearsal, tracking, and overdubbing.

All Input

All Input is used for rehearsal and level setting. When All Input is on, both

armed and unarmed tracks monitor their inputs, and the Auto Input setting

has no effect.

To enable All Input:

♦

Press the All Input button. The LED above the

button when All Input is on.

ALL

INPUT

Auto Input

Auto Input is used for recording. Auto Input affects only tracks that are in

Record Ready (“armed”). Tracks that are not armed only monitor the

playback of previously recorded audio. All Input overrides Auto Input. To use

Auto Input, All Input must be turned off.

When Auto Input is On, armed tracks monitor their inputs in Stop, Fast

Forward, Rewind, and Record. In Play, you hear only what’s already recorded

on the tracks. This mode is used primarily for tracking and overdubbing,

where you want to hear what’s been previously recorded on the track before

the punch-in and after the punch-out. During the punch, you hear what is

presently being recorded. Auto Input On is the default mode when you power

up the MDR24/96.

When Auto Input is Off, armed tracks always monitor their inputs. This mode

is used primarily for rehearsal and tracking, where you want to always hear

what you’re playing rather than what’s already recorded on that track.

To enable Auto Input:

♦

Press the Auto Input button. The

glowing LED above the button

AUTO

INPUT

indicates that it’s ON.

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Metering and Setting Record Levels

A professional analog recorder has meters that indicate 0 VU at a +4 dBu nominal

signal level. Generally you can record peaks 10 to 15 dB above that before

distortion becomes objectionable. This 10-15 dB range above the nominal level is

called “headroom”. The overload indicators on the MDR24/96 light when the

signal level reaches –1 dBFS.

On digital recorder meters, zero represents the full-scale digital signal level, 0

dBFS for short. 0 dBFS is the hottest signal that a digital device can handle, with

no headroom to spare. When a digital signal reaches 0 dBFS for more than a

sample or two, the resulting distortion is uglier than scraping your fingernails

across a chalkboard.

24TRACK/24BIT DIGITAL AUDIO HARD DISK RECORDER

Remember, audio levels must NEVER reach 0 dBFS... never, ever, ever. Digital

clipping is an extremely nasty sound that could only pass for music if you

like what those crazy kids listen to over and over at all hours of the night in-

cluding weekdays.

To get the get the best sound from the MDR24/96:

1. Turn All Input on.

ALL

INPUT

2. Ask the talent to play or sing as loud as they will be performing during the

session. While watching the MDR24/96 meters, adjust the console’s tape

outputs so that the signal peaks cause the red overload indicators to come

on occasionally. Then, back off the tape output level slightly. This insures

the best fidelity and the widest dynamic range in the recorded signal and

leaves you a little headroom to accommodate the talent’s enthusiasm.

Keep the signal levels as high as possible without overload, because

recording at lower levels reduces resolution and dynamic range.

Nonetheless it is always better to be conservative and avoid the risk of

overload than to try squeezing the last ounce of dynamic range from the

signal.

3. Alternately, if you have a tone generator or a sound source with a constant

volume (you can hold down a key on a synth), turn All Input on and send

the tone to all 24 tracks of the console. Adjust the output levels to read 0

VU on analog consoles, or around –20 dBFS on digital consoles. If the

MDR24/96 meters read -15 to -20, you’re in good shape. This leaves

enough headroom for most popular music, but if you’re recording acoustic

music, jazz, classical, or narration, you may want to leave a little more.

When the talent starts to play you may have to make some final tweaks to

get everything just right.

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4. After adjusting the tape output levels for each console channel, follow

your console manufacturer’s instructions for setting the console tape

return levels.

With analog I/O, a +22 dBu signal at the

dBu

equivalent

MDR24/96 inputs and outputs corresponds to

0 dBFS inside the MDR24/96. So, if your

console has a nominal output level (0 VU) of

+4 dBu, there is 18 dB of headroom before

you hit the maximum record level on the

MDR24/96. It also means that your console

must be capable of putting out at least +22

dBu without distortion so the console doesn’t

clip while the recorder is still within its

working range. Most professional consoles

can output +22 dBu without breaking a sweat

+22 dBu

+20

+18

+15

+12

–3

–8

–13

–18

–28 dBu

(like the Mackie Analog and Digital 8•Bus consoles). But beware that

semi-pro consoles often operate at a nominal output level of –10dBV and

will run out of steam before reaching a level that can take advantage of the

recorder’s full resolution.

Recording

All recording in the MDR24/96 is non-destructive. When you record over existing

audio, the old audio is not “erased” as it with magnetic tape; rather, new audio

files are created in addition to the existing files.

Recording can only take place on tracks that are “armed” for recording.

To arm tracks for recording:

1. Press a track’s Record Ready button.

REC

2. Press it again to disarm the track.

The Record Ready LED/button blinks when a track is armed and ready to record,

and glows when the track is recording.

To record:

1. Arm one or more tracks.

PLAY

RECORD

2. Press Play and Record simultaneously.

3. Press any Transport button other than

Record to stop recording.

The Record LED glows when the MDR24/96 is recording and blinks when Record

is engaged with no tracks armed (master record standby mode).

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Footswitch Operation

Using a footswitch with the MDR24/96 gives you hands-free access to two of the

most-used MDR24/96 functions. The footswitch is extremely handy when you

want to use your hands for other tasks, like playing your instrument, working the

console, or eating pizza.

Punch punches in just like pressing Play+Record and punches out like

pressing Play. When playing, hitting the footswitch punches in on all armed

tracks. When recording, hitting the footswitch again punches out of Record,

but leaves the transport in Play.

Stop/Play toggles the MDR24/96 between Stop and Play. When the

Transport is stopped, it puts it into play; when moving, it stops the Transport.

To assign the footswitch function:

1. Press the System button. In the System menu, select Footswitch MDR.

Then select Punch, Stop/Play from the MDR24/96 Footswitch mode menu.

2. Select OK, and press System again to exit.

Footswitch

ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O ANALOG I/O

TAPE IN/OUTS

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Delete Last

With the MDR24/96 you don’t need to worry about filling up your hard disks with

unwanted takes. The Delete Last function permanently erases all the audio files

recorded during the last record pass. A recording pass consists of all punches

made within one play/stop cycle. If you make edits after doing a record pass,

Delete Last will have no effect.

To delete the last recording pass:

♦

Press the Delete Last button. The LCD display

will ask you to confirm that you want to delete

the last record pass. Press OK.

DELETE LAST

Alternate method:

1. Press the Track/

undo:Record Pass

Edit button and

redo:none

select Undo-Redo.

TRACK/

EDIT

#:3 Undo Redo Exit

2. From the Undo-

Redo menu select Undo.

The History List

Redo Prior

Number

Command

Undo Current

Command

Saving Projects

Every time you record new

audio, the audio data and

Project information is

PROJECT MENU

[1]->

PROJECT

automatically saved to disk.

However, if you make other

changes to the Project (setting

Locates, editing etc.) without

New Open Save Delete

recording new audio, you must save the Project for these changes to be

remembered. In other words, if you quit without saving, no audio is lost, but your

changes are. So once you start editing, save often.

To save the current Project:

1. Press the Project button.

2. From the Project menu select Save.

3. Press the Project or Page Left (<) button again to exit.

MDR 24/96

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Project Backup / Restore

With Mackie Media drives, you can back up your Projects on removable media

that you can hand to the client or store in your tape library. Backing up and

restoring Projects is as simple as copying the Projects between the internal and

the Mackie Media drives.

To copy Projects between the internal and Mackie Media drives:

1. Press the Backup

BACKUP SOURCE: Internal

button.

DESTINATION: External

Set

BACKUP

2. Using the - Dec / + Inc

or the << / >> buttons,

Source Dest Exit Backup

select Set Source to set the drive

the Project will be copied from, and Set Dest to set the drive the Project

will be copied to. Since a Project can’t be copied onto itself, the Source

and Destination drives must be different.

3. Select OK to return to the

Select Project to Backup

Backup menu, then select

Backup. Choose the desired

Eborall Song

<< >> OK Cancel

Project using the (-) Dec / (+) Inc

or the << / >> buttons.

4. Press OK. When the backup is completed, either select another Project to

back up or press the Backup button to exit.

It is extremely important that you make backup copies of your projects at the end

of each session. While digital recording technology is highly reliable and hard disk

media is durable, sometimes stuff just happens. To reduce your risk of catastrophic

data loss (and the possible loss of $$ and clients), back up your projects on two

media before deleting them from your working drive(s).

There…. now you know better. So, don’t wait until disaster strikes to get backup

religion, and don’t complain to Mackie when your pet Rottweiler discovers that the

only copy of your client’s $20,000 project makes a superb chew toy and buries the

drive in the garden.

All media must be formatted before it can be used with the MDR24/96. Formatting

erases the media’s contents and prepares the file system for use with the MDR24/96.

You can format media with the MDR24/96, or use existing FAT16 or FAT32-

formatted media. Mackie Media M•90 drives come pre-formatted and ready to use,

as do ORB disks for the Mackie Media PROJECT drive (be sure to buy IBM

formatted ORB disks). Most off-the-shelf UDMA IDE drives do not come pre-

formatted.

Although you can use almost any IDE drive for backup, not all UDMA IDE drives

are fast enough to be used for recording and playback. If you want to use your own

UDMA IDE drive for recording and playback, you must format it with the MDR24/96,

then verify that it is fast enough to record and playback at the maximum data rate

(24 track, 24-bit, 48 kHz). If the drive passes the performance verification test, it is

permanently “tagged” as a real-time drive. If it fails, then the drive can be used for

backup only. External drives that fail the record verification test will appear with an

asterisk (*) in the front panel menus and dialogs.

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To format and verify media performance from the MDR24/96:

1. Press the Disk Util button.

DISK UTILITY MENU

Mount Format Verify

2. Now select Format. The

LCD screen will display a

message asking you to

verify the drive speed for

recording and playback.

3. Select OK. When the format operation has completed, another message

will appear asking you to verify the drive speed for recording and

playback.

4. If a UDMA drive is installed, select OK. After the performance verification

is completed, select Continue. If a Mackie Media PROJECT drive is

installed, select Cancel; they are too slow to be used for recording and

playback.

5. Press Disk Util to exit.

Some UDMA drives cannot keep up with the demand for 24 tracks of audio data.

So, before you rush to your local computer store and buy the cheapest UDMA

drive you can find, consider picking up some Mackie Media drives from your

nearest Mackie dealer instead (nudge nudge, say no more…).

Purge Audio

Purge Audio permanently deletes any audio files that were recorded in the Project

but are no longer used in the Playlist. Whenever you Purge Audio, the History List

is cleared.

To Purge Audio from your hard drive:

1. Press the Project

<- PROJECT MENU

[2]

button, and then the

Page Right (>) to the

second Project menu

page.

PROJECT

Purge Template

Rename Audio Reset Save

2. From the Project Menu select

Purge Audio.

3. Press OK to confirm the operation.

There! You’re all boned up on the MDR24/96, so put down this booklet and get to

work ... or play. Thanks for reading this guide. If questions have gone

unanswered, check the MDR24/96 Technical Reference Manual or Mackie’s

website www.mackie.com. Enjoy!

MDR 24/96

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Appendix A: Compatible Cables

Analog and Digital Multitrack Cables

The following companies supply analog and digital multitrack cables for use with

the MDR24/96 I/O cards:

Horizon Music, Inc.

P.O. Box 1988, Cape Girardeau MO 63702-1988

Tel: (800) 255-9822; Fax: (800) 455-3460

http://www.horizonmusic.com

AIO•8 Analog Interface Cables

HDA8 Series

Connector options:

Standard lengths:

DB25 to [specify connector]

8 male XLR, 8 female XLR, or 8 1/4” TRS

5, 10, 15, 20, 25 feet

DIO•8 TDIF Interface Cables

TDIF Series

DB25 to DB25

5, 10, 15 feet

Standard lengths:

PDI•8 AES/EBU Interface Cables

HD44 Series

Connector options:

Standard lengths:

DB25 to [specify connector]

4 male + 4 female XLR, or DB25

5, 10, 15, 20, 25 feet

Hosa Technology, Inc.

6920 Hermosa Circle, Buena Park CA 90620

Tel: (714) 736-9270; Fax (714) 522-4540

http://www.hosatech.com

AIO•8 Analog Interface Cables

DTP Series

DB25 to 8 1/4“ TRS

DB25 to 8 female XLR’s

DB25 to 8 male XLR’s

3, 4, 5, 7 meters

DTF Series

DTM Series

Standard lengths:

DIO•8 TDIF Interface Cables

DBK Series

Standard lengths:

DB25 to DB25

3, 15 feet

OPT•8 / DIO•8 ADAT Optical Interface Cables

OPT Series

OPM Series

OPT lengths:

OPM lengths:

Standard ADAT Optical cables

Jacketed ADAT Optical cables w/ metal headshell

2, 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 30, 50 feet

3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50 feet

PDI•8 AES/EBU Interface Cables

DBK Series

Standard length:

DB25 to 4 male, 4 female XLR’s

8 meters only

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Marshall Electronics

PO Box 2027, Culver City, CA 90231

Tel: (800) 800-6608; Fax: (310) 391-8926

http://www.mars-cam.com/cable.html

AIO•8 Analog Interface Cables

DC-DAXM Series

DC-DAXF Series

DC-DAS Series

Standard lengths:

DB25 to 8 male XLR’s

DB25 to 8 female XLR’s

DB25 to 8 1/4” TRS connectors

3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 feet

DIO•8 TDIF Interface Cables

DCD-88D Series

Standard lengths:

DB25 to DB25.

1, 3, 6, 12, 15, 20, 25, 33 feet.

PDI•8 AES/EBU Interface Cables

DC-SYX Series

DC-DUB Series

Standard lengths:

DB25 to 4 male, 4 female XLR’s

DB25 to DB25

3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 feet

Pro Co Sound, Inc.

135 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Tel: (800) 253-7360; Fax: (616) 388-9681

http://ww.procosound.com

AIO•8 Analog Interface Cables

DA-88 XM Series

DA-88 XF Series

DA-88 BQ Series

Standard lengths:

DB25 to 8 male XLR’s

DB25 to 8 female XLR’s

DB25 to 8 1/4“ TRS connectors

5, 10, 15, 20 feet

Other Cables

In addition to the companies listed above, the following companies supply

individual 110Ω AES/EBU and/or 75Ω word clock and video cables:

Apogee Electronics Corporation

3145 Donald Douglas Loop South

Santa Monica, CA 90405-3210

Tel: (310) 915-1000; Fax: (310) 391-6262

http://www.apogeedigital.com

Canare

531 5th Street, Unit A, San Fernando, CA 91340

Tel: (818) 365-2446; Fax: (818) 365-0479

http://www.canare.com

Whirlwind

99 Ling Rd., Rochester, NY 14612

Tel: (888) 733-4396; Fax: (716) 865-8930

http://www.whirlwindusa.com

MDR 24/96

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U T O P U T

I N P U T

Quick Start Guide

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Troubleshooting and service

Although you probably won’t need them, troubleshooting tips can be found in the

Technical Reference Manual. Technical support is available by contacting your

Mackie dealer, calling Mackie Designs at (800) 258-6883 (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Pacific Time), or visiting Mackie’s website at www.mackie.com.

Please read the included warranty information, then complete and return the

included Warranty Registration card, or it’s straight to bed for you with no dinner.

Colophon

Quick Start Guide text composed by Dana Bourke, based on a ballet by Jeff

Gilbert. It was made possible by the teachings and donations of the MDR24/96

Design Team, most notably Brian McCully and Bob Tudor. Graphics and layout

were performed by Tony “Waldog” Baird with technical support from Steve Eborall

and Frank “Weasel Boy” Heller. Cover art courtesy of Bryan Tiller. Long-winded

explanations, editing, and last minute updates from Mike Rivers, with

proofreading and final blessing by Jeff Gilbert. Proofreading and additional editing

by Linn Compton. Scott Garside was a pain the whole time.

Demo Music Credits

Ode to Masters

Written by:

Published By:

Electric Guitar:

Classical Guitar:

Bass:

Jay Roberts and Rick Reid

Nigel Nose Music

Jay Roberts

Rick Reid

Dan Dean

Drums:

Brendan Scanlan

Joey DeFrancesco

Hammond B3:

Trumpet:

Little Bit of Love

Written by:

Published by:

Artist:

Claude Gaudette & Alan Roy Scott BMI #877477

KYUSHU BOY MUSIC BMI #231306319

Shirley Meyers

Production Company:

Produced by:

Arranged by:

Keyboards:

Leggett Music Inc. Nashville Tn.

Keith Olsen

Claude Gaudette and Keith Olsen

Claude Gaudette, Richard Baker

Tim Pierce

Guitars:

Engineered by:

Keith Olsen and Peter Love

Recorded and Programmed at Goodnight LA Studios, Los Angeles

“Mackie,” the “Running Man” figure, “MDR24/96,” and “Digital 8•Bus” are

trademarks or registered trademarks of Mackie Designs Inc. All other brand

names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective

holders, and are hereby acknowledged.

Printed in the U.S.A.

MDR 24/96

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Notes

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quick Start Guide

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