Apogee Quartet User's Guide

Apogee Quartet User’s GuideV1, September, 2012

Display and touchpad tourInput display and touchpadsOutput display and touchpadsQuickStart - Apogee Quartet User’s GuideVersion 1, September 2012

Connecting to your MacSystem Requirements•Intel Mac 1.5 GHz or faster•Mac OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.4 or greater•2 GB minimum RAM, 4 GB recommendedInstall Qua

Choosing Quartet for Mac Sound I/OAfter connecting Quartet to your Mac, a dialog box will prompt you to choose Quartet for Mac sound input and output.

Connect to Headphones or SpeakersConnect headphones to the headphone output on the right side of Quartet.Connect Quartet’s 1/4” speaker outputs 1-2 t

Adjusting Volume Speaker Output level To change Quartet’s speaker output level (i.e the listening level of connected speakers), press the Speaker Sele

Headphone Output level To change Quartet’s headphone output level (i.e the listening level of connected headphones), press the Headphone Selection To

Configuring the InputConnect a microphone or instrument to one of the combo jacks on the rear panelOpen Apogee Maestro 2 software and select the Input

OperationController KnobQuartet’s Controller Knob allows you to easily adjust the levels of all inputs and outputs and also provides a quick and easy

Adjusting Input & Output Levels!Input levelTo change Quartet’s input level (i.e the preamp gain of microphones and instruments):1) Press the Touch

Speaker Output levelTo change Quartet’s speaker output level (i.e the listening level of connected speakers):1) Press the speaker output Touchpad. The

ContentsQuickStart! 6Introduction! 6Quartet! 6Professional audio interface and studio control center for Mac! 6What you can do with Quartet:! 6Package

Headphone Output levelTo change Quartet’s headphone output level (i.e the listening level of connected headphones): 1) Press the headphone output Touc

Multiple Speaker Set OperationQuartet’s Speaker Set functionality allows you to connect up to 3 stereo speaker sets, each of which can be individually

2 Speaker SetsWhen the “2 Speaker Sets” option is selected, Software Outputs 1-2 are routed to Hardware Outputs 1-2 and 3-4. (as shown in the Routing

3 Speaker SetsWhen the “3 Speaker Sets” option is selected, Software Outputs 1-2 are routed to Hardware Outputs 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. (as shown in the Ro

Custom Output RoutingThe Output Routing can be freely changed if you have a unique setup. For instance, if you wish to listen to your DAW’s Software O

Assignable TouchpadsQuartet's three assignable Touchpads can be setup for quick access to Output functions. Use them to mute or dim the outputs,

Mute outputsYou can assign one of the three Touchpads to mute the Speaker, Headphone or All Outputs. Dim outputsThe Dim function lowers the output vol

Sum to MonoThe Sum to Mono function is used to examine phase relationships on stereo tracks. When engaged, the left and right output signals are combi

Clear MetersThe Clear Meters function will remove any peak and over indicators in Maestro 2 and OLED meters on Quartet’s front panel. If “Peak Hold”

MIDI Input/OutputQuartet’s USB MIDI input/output provides a MIDI connection between class compliant Core MIDI devices such as keyboards and other cont

Headphone Output level! 15Configuring the Input! 16Open Apogee Maestro 2 software and select the Input tab.! 16Operation! 17Controller Knob! 17Quartet’

To setup a MIDI device with Quartet:Using a standard USB cable, connect the device’s USB MIDI connector to Quartet’s rear panel MIDI USB connector.In

OS X System PreferencesThe OS X System Preferences Sound window provides settings to choose Quartet for Mac sound input and output. If you’ve already

Setting Sample RateQuartet operates at all standard sample rates between 44.1 kHz and 192 kHz. In most cases, the sample rate is set by the audio appl

Maestro 2Apogee’s Maestro 2 software provides the most complete control of Quartet, including:•Control of all settings•Store/recall of configurations•L

Device Icon & ID ButtonA device icon and ID button is placed adjacent to each row of parameters to identify the hardware unit to which the row bel

Input Tab Window1. Device Icon & ID Button - see the description above.2. Analog Level - Use this menu to select mic, instrument, or line input.3.

Output Tab Window1. Device Icon & ID Button - see the description above.2. Analog Output Meter - This meter displays the level of the analog outpu

to mono and check for unevenness in the frequency range caused by phase cancellation and reinforcement of particular frequencies. If the sound changes

Device Settings Tab Window 1. Device Icon & ID Button - see the description above.2. Peripheral Prex - Use this drop down menu to assign a letter

Output Routing Tab Window In the Maestro Output Routing tab, route Mixer 1 (or Mixer 2) to Line 1/2. If Analog Out Format is set to 2 or 3 Speaker Se

Devices Sidebar! 33Device Icon & ID Button! 34Input Tab Window! 35Output Tab Window! 36Device Settings Tab Window! 38Output Routing Tab Window! 39

Mixer Tab WindowUse the Mixer Tab Window to adjust the Mix of input and output signals as well as configure Low Latency Mixing. Learn more about Low La

System Setup Window1. Sample Rate - This drop down selects the sample rate. Under certain circumstances, (for example, when a DAW session is open) thi

Menu Bar MenusAbout Apogee Maestro - Choose this menu item to display version information.Preferences - Choose this menu item to display Maestro’s Pre

Menu Bar Menus (continued) Rescan - Choose this menu item to re-initialize the link between Maestro software and Apogee hardware connected to the Mac,

Menu Bar Menus (continued)Help - Choose this menu item to open Maestro Help for any Apogee hardware devices connected to your MacMaestro 2 - Apogee Qu

Low Latency MixingWhile recording, if you notice a delay between the moment you play or sing a note and when you hear it in your headphones you are ex

Maestro Low Latency mixing (continued)Figure ATo illustrate the effect of latency, Figure A depicts the typical signal path of a vocal overdub session.

Maestro Low Latency mixing (continued)Figure BBy routing the hardware input directly to the hardware output and mixing in playback as shown in Figure

Working with the Maestro MixerDo I need the Maestro Mixer?The Maestro mixer serves to provide a low latency monitoring mix while recording. Therefore

Playback mixIn your recording software, set up a mix of all playback tracks and route it to the first pair of outputs. If a master fader controls the g

Using Quartet with Steinberg Nuendo! 59Troubleshooting! 60Further Troubleshooting Resources! 62Apogee Website! 62Apogee Support! 62Apogee Product Repa

Maestro Mixer SettingsNow select the desired input (Line, Mic or Instrument) and set the Input Level on the Input tab; the signal should be displayed

Software SetupUsing Quartet with Logic IMPORTANT NOTE! The Apogee Control Panel within Logic is not compatible with Quartet.Go to the Logic Pro or Log

Using Quartet with Logic (continued)By selecting Quartet input and output labels in Logic, the labels you see in Logic’s Channel Strip input and outpu

Using Quartet with Logic (continued)Now close the Logic Pro Preferences window and select New > Empty Project > from the File Menu.If you are re

Using Quartet with Logic (continued)Logic will now ask you to name the project and save in on your hard drive.Click the Record button in the transport

Using Quartet with GarageBand! IMPORTANT NOTE! The Apogee Control Panel within GarageBand is not compatible with Quartet.If you don’t have Quartet con

Using Quartet with Avid Pro Tools (9 or greater)Choose Setup menu > Playback Engine.Choose Quartet for Current Engine. Set the Buffer Size

Using Quartet with Ableton LiveChoose Live > PreferencesClick on the Audio tab. Select CoreAudio in the Driver Type menu. Select Quartet in both th

Using Quartet with Apple Final Cut Pro!Choose Final Cut Pro > Audio/Video Settings.!Click on the A/V Devices tab. Select Quartet in the Audio menu.

Using Quartet with Steinberg NuendoChoose Devices > Device SetupIn the Devices window, click on VST Audio System. Select Quartet in the ASIO menu.O

QuickStartIntroductionThank you for purchasing Quartet. This QuickStart guide describes how to set up Quartet with your Mac, connect speakers or headp

TroubleshootingLooking for answers? Ask the knowledgebasewww.apogeedigital.com/knowledgebaseQuartet FAQsQ: When I press the Speaker touchpad, nothing

Symptom: The audio quality is compromised (distortion, choppy audio, "buzzy" audio). Solution: There are several remedies for audio that is

Further Troubleshooting ResourcesIf you still haven't found a resolution to your issue, Apogee provides a wide range of resourcesApogee WebsiteFo

SpecificationsFeaturesQuartet!Computer ConnectivityUSB 2.0 High SpeedRoundtrip Latency performance32 bu"er @ 96kHz = 3.6 ms64 bu"er @ 44.1kHz

Phase InvertSoft LimitGroup Inputs2 groupsMute OutputsSum to MonoDim OutputsCore Audio Compatible!System Requirements:•Computer: Intel Mac 1.5GHz or f

Warranty & Notifications Registration and Warranty InformationTo receive free tech support, important information and product updates rst... Regis

Service InformationThe Quartet contains no user-serviceable components; refer to qualified service personnel for repair or upgrade. Your warranty will

Software NoticeRedistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions ar

Apogee Electronics Corp.1715 Berkeley StreetSanta Monica,CA 90404, USAIndustry Canada NoticeThis Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of t

Package contentsThe following items are included in the Quartet box: •Quartet •QuickStart Guide •Power Supply•USB 2.0 Cable USB 2.0 CableQuickStart Gu

Quartet panel tourTop panelInput Meters Output MetersUser Assignable TouchpadsController KnobDurable Cast Aluminum BodyInput Selection TouchpadsOutput

Rear panelAnalog OutputsAnalog InputsDC PowerWord Clock OUTUSB 2.0Digital InputsMIDI (USB)Side panelHeadphone Output(on right side)QuickStart - Apogee