ART USB Pre IV Project Series User's Manual

Safety and Important Information

⚠️ CAUTION: RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK. DO NOT OPEN.
ATTENTION: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE. NE PAS OUVRIR.

The lightning bolt symbol ⚡ indicates the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the enclosure, posing a risk of electric shock.

The exclamation mark symbol ❗ alerts you to important operating and maintenance instructions found in the accompanying literature. Please read the manual carefully.

Read Instructions: Retain safety and operating instructions for future reference. Heed all warnings printed here and on the equipment. Follow the operating instructions printed in this user manual.

Do not open: There are no user serviceable parts inside. Refer any service work to qualified technical personnel only.

Environment: Protect from excessive dirt, dust, heat, and vibration when operating and storing. Avoid tobacco ash, drink spillage, and smoke, especially that associated with smoke machines.

Handling: Protect the controls from damage during transit. Use adequate padding if you need to ship the unit. To avoid injury to yourself or damage to the equipment, take care when lifting, moving, or carrying the unit.

Servicing: Refer servicing to qualified technical personnel.

Installation: Install the unit in accordance with the instructions printed in the user manual.

Introduction

The USB PRE IV is a high-quality, 4-IN / 4-OUT digital recording interface intended for home studio and mobile recording applications. It provides up to 4 mic inputs or two high impedance instrument and two line inputs. Equipped with high-quality digital converters, the USB PRE IV offers up to 32-bit/192kHz performance. A single USB port is used to both power the unit and deliver audio content to your DAW, making it a great option for portable recording with a laptop or mobile device. Bundled with Cubase LE and a low latency ASIO driver, the USB PRE IV will perform at a level professionals expect while being simple enough for the novice user.

Key Features

• Four High-Quality 32-bit A to D and D to A Converters
• Sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz
• Low latency ASIO and WDM driver
• Transformer isolated outputs
• Low noise mic preamps
• High Z instrument inputs
• Zero latency monitoring
• Front panel headphone output
• MIDI Input
• MIDI Output
• Compact rugged package designed for years of use
• Perfect for Professional and Project Studios

Drivers

ART provides a low latency ASIO driver, which you need to download from the ART website to use the unit with Windows. Ensure your DAW application, such as Cubase LE, supports ASIO I/O to take advantage of this driver and its control panel. The ASIO driver enables sample rates up to 192kHz with up to 8 streams of audio (4 in and 4 out). When you access the USB PRE IV's control panel, you can adjust the buffer size to minimize latency for your specific computer.

Windows

Go to www.artproaudio.com/product/usb-ii/ to find the latest ASIO drivers.

Mac OS

There are no additional drivers needed.

Cubase LE

Included with your purchase is a copy of Steinberg's Cubase LE recording software. Follow instructions on the included card to download your product.

Connections

The USB PRE IV features comprehensive input and output connections for various audio setups.

Front Panel Connections

• A. Left and Right "Combo" Jacks: Allow for either XLR or 1/4-inch TRS input connections. The 1/4-inch connections are for instrument or line-level balanced or unbalanced signals, with high input impedance suitable for guitars. The XLR connections are primarily for balanced microphone inputs. Pin 2 is positive, pin 3 is negative, and pin 1 is ground.
• B. +48V Switch: Provides phantom power for condenser microphones. When enabled, +48 Volts DC is supplied to pins 2 and 3, with pin 1 acting as the ground return. Do not lift pin 1 when using phantom power.
• C. INPUTS (Gain Controls): These potentiometers independently vary the input gain for Channels 1 through 4, offering up to 50dB of clean gain. Set controls counterclockwise for minimum gain when connecting inputs.
• D. OUTPUT LEVEL (OUT 1/2): This potentiometer varies the output gain for channels 1 and 2, controlling the Main Output level.
• E. Input Monitor: When engaged, this switch allows monitoring of the input signal directly from the headphone jack.
• F. Headphone LEVEL (OUT CH3/4): Allows the user to adjust the gain for the headphone output jack.
• G. Headphone Jack: Access point for monitoring.
• H. USB Jack: Provides interface connection and unit power.
• I. MIDI INPUT/MIDI OUTPUT: MIDI access points for connecting external MIDI devices.

Rear Panel Connections

• J. Main Output: Analog outputs for connecting to monitors or mixers.
• K. CH3 and CH4 "Combo" Jacks: Allow for either XLR or 1/4-inch TRS input connections, supporting unbalanced or balanced plugs.

Quick Start

1. Connect the USB PRE IV to your computer or mobile device using the provided USB cable.
2. Connect your output jacks. Studio monitors are typically connected via 1/4-inch cables to the Main Outputs. Headphones can be connected to the front panel headphone jack. Refer to the "Outputs – Headphone Setup" section for routing audio to headphones.
3. Set your levels. Turn your level controls up with a signal present until the indicator rings occasionally blink red. If distortion occurs, turn the level down.
4. Select the USB PRE IV as your input and output device in your DAW. Consult your DAW's user manual for specific instructions.

Controls and Operation

The USB PRE IV offers intuitive controls for managing audio input and output.

Inputs

Use the Left and Right input jacks to connect microphones, instruments, or line-level sources. Both balanced and unbalanced cables are supported. The CH1 through CH4 Gain controls adjust input amplifiers, providing up to 50dB of clean gain. Set controls counterclockwise to minimum gain when connecting inputs. The +48V Phantom Power switch supplies power to XLR input jacks for condenser microphones. Minimize pops and system stress by reducing gain before connecting microphones and applying phantom power.

Level Indicators: The illuminated rings around the channel gain pots indicate incoming signal levels. Adjust levels for a consistently green ring with occasional red flashes. The red ring indicates 2dB below digital clipping and should only light on musical peaks. The green ring appears approximately 10dB before the red ring.

Outputs

The USB PRE IV is equipped with two pairs of stereo outputs. Connect studio monitors through the 1/4-inch Main Outputs (OUT1/2) on the rear panel using quality cables.

Headphones can be used for personal monitoring through the stereo TRS Headphone jack (OUT3/4) on the front panel. Press the Input Monitor button to listen to the signal directly from the inputs. Leave the Input Monitor off to listen to the processed signal from the computer.

TIP: When using the Input Monitor function, reduce the level on unused channels to minimize output noise.

The Output Level (OUT1/2) control adjusts the Main Output level, while the Headphone (OUT3/4) control sets the headphone level.

Both Main and Headphone outputs can send different stereo feeds, useful for live situations or when connecting to a recording system and monitoring locally.

Headphone Setup

The USB Pre IV routes the Headphone (OUT3/4) signal on an independent stereo path from the Main Outputs (OUT1/2), allowing for flexible monitor mixes in your DAW.

Windows 10

1. Click the Windows home icon and type "Sound Settings" into the search bar, or click the speaker icon on the lower right of your screen.
2. To direct sound to the main outputs, select "USB II OUT1/2" or "USBIV OUT1/2".
3. To direct sound to the headphones, select "USB II OUT3/4" or "USBIV OUT3/4".

macOS 12.x (Monterey)

1. Open Audio MIDI Setup.
2. Click '+' in the lower left corner.
3. Select 'Create Aggregate Device'.
4. Select USB IV or USB II.
5. Apply labels to Output Channels 3 and 4 (e.g., name them OUT3 and OUT4).
6. Click 'Configure Speakers'.
7. Choose OUT3 and OUT4 and click Apply.
8. You can rename the Aggregate Device to "USB IV Headphones".
9. Go to System Preferences > Sound.
10. Select the 'Aggregate Device' to listen on OUT 3/4 or 'USB IV Audio Interface' to listen on OUT 1/2.

macOS 11.x (Big Sur) and earlier

1. Open Audio MIDI Setup.
2. Navigate to USB IV Audio Interface > Output.
3. Configure Speakers.
4. Choose between Front Left/Front Right (OUT 1/2) or 3,4 (OUT 3/4).
5. Click Done.

Creating a Headphone Out Bus in Cubase

To set up a dedicated headphone output bus in Cubase:

1. Ensure you are using the USB II or USB IV ASIO driver:
   • Go to Studio > Studio Setup.
   • Set the ASIO Driver to USB II or USB IV, depending on your product.
2. Create a headphone bus:
   • Go to Studio > Audio Connections.
   • Click Add Bus.
   • Set the Bus Name to 'Headphones' and keep the configuration as Stereo / L R.

You can use the Headphones bus in two ways:

1. Set the output of your individual tracks to either 'Stereo Out' (OUT1/2) or 'Headphones' (OUT3/4).
2. Create a Send on your track to monitor on both 'Stereo Out' and 'Headphones' simultaneously:
   • On the track Inspector, go to Sends.
   • Add a send to 'Headphones'.
   • Ensure the 'Activate / Deactivate Send' button is set to Activate.

USB

The USB connector provides power to the USB PRE IV while delivering audio to and from your computer or mobile device. The USB PRE IV is a USB 2.0 class-compliant device. Use a high-quality shielded USB cable for best performance and avoid connections through USB hubs when possible.

ASIO Driver Configuration in Cubase (Windows)

To leverage the low-latency ASIO driver with the USB Pre IV in Cubase:

1. Go to Studio > Studio Setup.
2. Click Audio System.
3. Select the USB II or USB IV from the ASIO Driver dropdown on the right and click Switch from the popup.
4. Click USB II or USB IV on the left panel.
5. Click Control Panel on the right side and use the panel to select your desired sampling rate and buffer size.

MIDI Input and Output

Use the MIDI INPUT and MIDI OUTPUT jacks to pass MIDI data between your computer and devices like MIDI keyboard controllers, drum machines, and sequencers. The MIDI IN and MIDI OUT will appear as USB PRE IV under your MIDI I/O selections.

The USB PRE II and USB PRE IV implement a USB-MIDI interface for connecting instruments, sequencers, and other MIDI equipment to your computer. The USB PRE IV's MIDI interface appears in the Windows 10 Device Manager under "Sound, video and game controllers" as "USB II - MIDI" or similar. On macOS, it appears in the Audio/MIDI Setup MIDI Window, showing one input and one output that may need assignment.

Using the MIDI I/O in Cubase

To use the MIDI interface in Cubase, select the Studio Setup function and then MIDI Port Setup. Select USB PRE IV as shown in Fig. 3.

Using the MIDI Device Manager, you can utilize the MIDI output after installing a device and setting its output to USB PRE IV. Once a MIDI output is assigned, it will appear as an output selection on a MIDI track and be marked as Active in the MIDI Port Setup window. Fig. 4 illustrates assigning the USB PRE IV MIDI output to a GM (General MIDI) device.

Warranty Information

Limited Warranty

Applied Research and Technology (ART) warrants to the original purchaser that this product and its components will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of three years from the date of purchase. ART will, at its option, repair or replace defective products or components free of charge upon prepaid delivery to the factory service department or an authorized service center, accompanied by proof of purchase.

Exclusions

This warranty does not apply to misuse, abuse, or unauthorized alterations or repairs. The warranty is void if the serial number is altered, defaced, or removed. ART reserves the right to make design changes without obligation to install them on previously manufactured products. ART is not liable for consequential damages, including loss of use. Some states may have different warranty rights.

For units purchased outside the United States, an authorized distributor will provide service.

For your reference:

Date of purchase: ___________________

Purchased from: ___________________

Service

If your unit requires service:

1. Verify the unit is the cause of the problem. Check power, cable connections, and cable condition. Consult your dealer for troubleshooting assistance.
2. If the ART unit is at fault, visit www.artproaudio.com.
3. Select "Support", then "Return Authorization Request" to obtain an RA number.
4. When returning the unit, pack it in its original carton or a suitable substitute. Print the RA number and your return shipping address clearly on the outside of the shipping box.
5. Include a note with your RA number, contact information (including a daytime phone number and return shipping address, not a P.O. box), and a description of the problem. Also include a copy of your purchase receipt.

Specifications

ART maintains a policy of constant product improvement. Therefore, specifications are subject to change without notice.

Go to www.artproaudio.com for the latest information and support on the USB PRE IV Project Series.