USB MIDI Controller and Stereo Audio Interface Quick Start Owner's Manual BOX CONTENTS · PHOTON X 25 USB AUDIO/MIDI CONTROLLER · USB CABLE · QUICK START OWNER'S MANUAL IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS · Manual de inicio rápido para el usuario CONTENIDO DE LA CAJA · CONTROLADOR USB DE AUDIO/MIDI PHOTON X25 · CABLE USB · MANUAL DE INICIO RÁPIDO DEL USUARIO Manuel d'utilisation du propriétaire CONTENU DE LA BOÎTE · CONTRÔLEUR MIDI/AUDIO USB PHOTON X 25 · CABLE USB · GUIDE D'UTILISATION SIMPLIFIÉ · CONSIGNES DE SÉCURITÉ IMPORTANTES Schnellbedienungsanleitung INHALT DER VERPACKUNG · PHOTON X 25 USB AUDIO/MIDI CONTROLLER · USB-KABLE · SCHNELLBEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG · WICHTIGE SICHERHEITSHINWEISE Manuale rapido di utilizzazione CONTENUTO DELLA CONFEZIONE · PHOTON X 25 USB AUDIO/MIDI CONTROLLER · CAVO USB · MANUALE RAPIDO DI UTILIZZAZIONE · IMPORTANTI ISTRUZIONI DI SICUREZZA This page intentionally left blank. PHOTON X 25 QUICK START OWNER'S MANUAL (ENGLISH) Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of the Alesis Photon X 25 MIDI controller and 24-bit stereo audio interface! The Photon X 25 combines portability with a host of cutting-edge features: MIDI · 25 full-size, velocity sensitive keys with easily accessible octave shift buttons. · Alesis AXYZ dome for revolutionary three-dimensional MIDI control. · Premium pitch and modulation wheels with backlighting. · 10 high-resolution 360º knobs. Three layers yield the equivalent of thirty knobs per preset. · 10 buttons, each programmable for on/off or momentary (trigger) operation. · Simultaneously active USB and 5-pin MIDI connections. · Pre-programmed setups. You can easily design your own custom setups, too. AUDIO · 24-bit stereo audio input and output via USB. Adjustable sample rate up to 48 kHz. · Adjustable input and output gain. · Main stereo outputs plus headphone output. Product Registration Please go to http://www.alesis.com to register your new Photon X 25. Registration helps you by ensuring that we can keep you up to date on any lastminute product issues. If you want, Alesis can also send you information on other products that might interest you. Registration helps us, too. When you let us know the types of music products you use and dream about, you help us bring you cutting-edge products like the Photon X 25. 1 Minimum Computer Requirements The Photon X 25 requires either Windows XP or Mac OS X, along with an available USB 1.1 or higher connection. Earlier operating systems are not supported. Any MIDI application in which MIDI inputs can be configured should be compatible with the Photon X 25. Very basic MIDI programs will not allow you to take advantage of the Photon X 25's wheels, buttons and knobs. Connection Diagram 2 This page intentionally left blank. 3 Rear-Panel Connections 1. External Adapter Jack ­ Plug in the AC adapter if you don't want to power the Photon X 25 through either the USB connection or four "C"-size batteries. (Use a 6VDC, negative tip, 1000mA device.) 2. Power Source Selector ­ Press this switch IN to power the Photon X 25 from either four "C"-size batteries or the external power adapter. (If both an AC adapter and batteries are present, the AC adapter will be used rather than the batteries.) Leave this switch in the OUT position in order to power the Photon X 25 from a computer's USB connection or to turn off the unit when USB power is not present. Note: When using a laptop computer, consider using batteries to prolong the laptop's operating time between charges. Load "C"-size batteries on the bottom of the Photon X 25. 3. USB Connector ­ Plug a standard USB cable into this outlet and into a USB 1.1 or higher connector on your computer. Plug the Photon X 25 directly into your computer, rather than using a USB hub or other intermediate device. Such devices can interfere with the Photon X 25's MIDI and audio timing signals. 4. MIDI IN Connector ­ Use a five-pin MIDI cable to connect the OUTPUT of an external MIDI controller to the MIDI IN of the Photon X 25. If you connect an external MIDI device to the Photon X 25 in this way, your computer will recognize the external device as a second MIDI IN controller. 4 5. MIDI OUT Connector ­ Use a five-pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI OUT of the Photon X 25 to the INPUT of an external MIDI device. The operation of the MIDI OUT port changes depending on whether or not a USB cable is connected to the Photon. USB cable connected: MIDI data from your computer is passed to the MIDI OUT port. Note: When a USB cable is connected, you should activate "MIDI echo" in your sequencer if you want the Photon to control another MIDI device. USB cable not connected: Whatever you play on the Photon is sent to the MIDI OUT port. USB data from the computer MIDI data from the Photon Note: If you have another device connected to the Photon's MIDI IN port, that device's MIDI information will be ignored. 6. Sustain Pedal Input ­ Connect a keyboard sustain pedal (not included). Use any manufacturer's sustain pedal: when you turn on the Photon X 25, it will automatically calibrate itself to the pedal. 7. Expression Pedal ­ Plug in an optional continuous-controller expression pedal such as the Roland EV-5 pedal. 8. Stereo Audio Inputs ­ Use balanced (TRS) or unbalanced (TS) ¼" cables to connect external audio equipment like mixers and synthesizers. You can adjust the incoming signal's gain using the INPUT control on the top of the Photon X 25. Note: You can choose whether or not to send the audio input signal directly to the audio outputs (including the headphone output) in the GLOBAL menu. 9. Stereo Audio Outputs ­ Use balanced (TRS) or unbalanced (TS) ¼" cables to connect the Photon X 25 to a mixer or powered monitor speakers to listen to the incoming audio sent from your computer. 10. Headphone Output ­ Connect a pair of stereo headphones to listen to the incoming audio. 5 Top Panel Controls 1. Keyboard ­ A full-size, 25-note, velocity-sensitive keyboard. 2. Octave Up/Down Buttons ­ Transpose the keyboard in octaves using these buttons. Press them both at the same time to reset the keyboard range. 3. Pitch Wheel ­ Control pitch bend with this backlit wheel. 4. Modulation Wheel ­ While you can control any parameter using this backlit wheel, its most common use is for modulation control. 5. AXYZ Dome ­ The AXYZ dome responds to your hand position to provide three-way MIDI control. Side-to-side, top-to-bottom, and distance-from dome movements are all tracked. 6. AXYZ Dome activation button ­ Press this button to enable or disable AXYZ Dome operation. 7. Display ­ The LCD display shows current status information. 8. Configuration buttons ­ Call up and save presets, set global parameters and more using the configuration buttons. See below for additional detail. 9. VALUE/ENTER Encoder ­ Twirl the VALUE/ENTER encoder to select various parameters and values. Press VALUE/ENTER to toggle between parameter and value assignments and to accept your entries. 10. Audio Input Level ­ Adjust the gain of incoming audio here. 11. Audio Output Level ­ Adjust the level sent to the headphones and main audio outputs. 12. MIDI Control Knobs ­ Ten high-resolution, endless knobs. These knobs are suitable for transmitting standard 7-bit (0-127) MIDI commands. 13. MIDI Control Buttons ­ Ten buttons can operate in either toggle (on/off) mode or momentary (trigger) mode. 6 14. Layer Button ­ Press the LAYER button repeatedly to cycle through the Photon X 25's three independent knob layers. The lights above the LAYER button indicate which one of the three available layers is currently active. Knob assignments can be made on each layer for a total of 30 knob assignments per preset. Plug-and-Play Connection to a Computer Both Windows XP and Mac OS X see the Photon as a plug-and play MIDI and Audio controller. Simply plug the Photon into your computer using a USB cable and allow the operating system to install it automatically. Depending on your operating system, the Photon X 25 may be identified by your MIDI and Audio software applications as either a "Photon" controller or a "USB Audio Device." No need to worry: the Photon will work regardless of its designation. The Photon is not compatible with earlier versions of Windows or Mac OS. Check http://www.Alesis.com for driver updates and up-to-date information on operating system compatibility. 7 Operation: 1. Using the Keyboard with your MIDI software Start off simply. Once you're plugged in and powered up, go to your sound module or software application and set the incoming MIDI channel. If you're using software, you will probably need to configure it to use the Photon or "USB" device. Look for the MIDI device setup menu in your application and ensure that the Photon is designated as an active MIDI device before proceeding. On the Photon, press EDIT PRESET. Then, press the PAGE RIGHT button to see the Common MIDI setting. This is the channel on which the Photon X 25 will send it's MIDI information. Turn the VALUE/ENTER encoder to change this setting if needed. Play the keyboard. Your sound module or software should respond to the Photon X 25's MIDI data. If not, refer to the troubleshooting instructions later in this guide. Experiment with the Photon X 25's OCTAVE buttons and pitch and modulation wheels. Since the two wheels are mapped to MIDI's standard pitch and modulation commands, they should work for you in most cases right off the bat. 2. Using the Knobs with the Supplied Controller Templates If one of the supplied template sets matches your MIDI software, lift the plastic template covers with your fingernail, position the templates, and then replace the covers. Press the RECALL PRESET button and turn the clear cursor knob to reach the program number indicated on the templates. Press the cursor knob to enter this program. You should now be able to control the software according to the templates. Press the LAYER button to cycle through the three knob layers. Each layer is independent (though a knob can be assigned to the same controller value on two or three of the layers). The row-selection lights on the top and bottom always move together. It's not possible to select, say, Layer 1 on the top row of knobs and Layer 2 on the bottom row. 8 3. Audio Recording and Playback To record, connect the OUTPUT from an audio device to the AUDIO IN jacks of the Photon X 25. Use balanced (TRS) or unbalanced (TS) ¼" cables. In your audio software, enable input from the Photon X 25. If your software allows it, adjust the sample rate. The Photon X 25 will "slave" to this setting (so long as it is not out of the Photon X 25's range). Adjust the gain of the incoming audio signal using the Photon X 25's INPUT knob. Send the loudest signal you can to your recording application before your application indicates clipping. For playback, connect a pair of headphones to the Photon X 25's HEADPHONE OUT jack and/or connect your audio playback device's IN jacks to the Photon X 25's AUDIO OUT jacks. Adjust the level using the OUTPUT knob. CAUTION: To protect both your hearing and your equipment, turn the OUTPUT down to its lowest setting before connecting gear and before turning on the unit. Maximizing Your Gain Staging For the best recorded sound, adjust each of your audio devices for maximum fidelity with minimum noise. Start by turning UP keyboards, sound modules and mixer channels to between fifty and seventy-five percent of maximum. If you hear distortion, first turn DOWN the preamp trim controls on your mixer (if you're using one). Then, turn DOWN the Photon's OUTPUT knob. Listen for audible improvements as you adjust your devices' volume controls relative to one another. A little time spent experimenting with these settings can yield big improvements in sound quality. 24-bit audio output to 16-bit recording programs The Photon X 25 always sends audio to the computer at 24 bits (high resolution). Some recording programs will only record the 16 most significant bits (compact disc resolution), ignoring the eight additional bits sent by the Photon X 25. This is not a problem. 9 4. Editing and Storing Configurations (Editing the Global settings) Global settings are in effect at all times, in all presets. Press the GLOBAL button to access these settings. Then use the PAGE buttons to cycle through the options. Any changes you make are stored immediately. When you are finished, press RECALL PRESET to exit this mode and return to normal operation. GLOBAL BUTTON a. LCD CONTRAST. Use VALUE to adjust the screen's contrast. b. KEYBOARD CURVE. Use VALUE to select the Linear, Logarithmic, Exponential, or Always-at-Maximum velocity curve. c. SEMITONE TRANSPOSITION. Use VALUE to cycle from -11 semitones to +11 semitones. You can also use the keyboard to set this value. 0 (no transposition) is equal to middle C. What is Latency? "Latency" is the delay between the mom ...