Numark HDMIX Reference Manual

] REFERENCE MANUAL
(ENGLISH) ::::: 2 – 42
] MANUAL DE REFERENCIA
(ESPAÑOL) ::::: 43 – 85
] GUIDE D’UTILISATION
(FRANÇAIS) ::::: 86 – 136
] MANUALE DI RIFERIMENTO
(ITALIANO) ::::: 137 – 179
] BEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG
(DEUTSCH) ::::: 180 – 224
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................4
FEATURES ...........................................................................................................4
IMPORTANT MESSAGES ....................................................................................4
CONNECTION DIAGRAM ....................................................................................5
TOP PANEL OVERVIEW......................................................................................6
FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW.................................................................................6
REAR PANEL OVERVIEW ...................................................................................7
GLOBAL CONTROLS ...........................................................................................8
DECK CONTROLS (A AND B)..............................................................................9
MIXER CONTROLS ............................................................................................12
HOW TO WORK WITH HDMIX...........................................................................14
THE GRAPHICAL INTERFACE ..........................................................................16
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SWITCHING ON AND OFF ..........................................................................16
•
THE DISPLAY ...........................................................................................16
•
DECK DISPLAYS.......................................................................................16
•
MENU BAR ..............................................................................................17
•
WORK AREA............................................................................................17
•
PROGRESS BAR.......................................................................................17
•
USING LISTS ...........................................................................................18
•
USING DIALOGS .......................................................................................18
•
RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS ....................................................................19
•
CHANGING SETTINGS ...............................................................................19
•
ENTERING TEXT.......................................................................................19
THE LIBRARY.....................................................................................................20
PREPARING YOUR STORAGE DEVICE........................................................20
CREATING A LIBRARY ..................................................................................20
•
BUILDING WITH LIBRARIAN ........................................................................20
•
BUILDING WITH HDMIX ............................................................................20
LOADING A LIBRARY.....................................................................................21
USING A LIBRARY..........................................................................................21
•
SEARCHING .............................................................................................22
•
BROWSING ..............................................................................................22
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FILE VIEW ...............................................................................................24
•
WORKING WITH PLAYLISTS .......................................................................24
EJECTING A LIBRARY ...................................................................................25
THE CRATE........................................................................................................26
WORKING WITH THE CRATE ........................................................................26
LOADING AND SAVING THE CRATE.............................................................27
WORKING WITH CDS & EXTERNAL DEVICES ................................................28
PLAYING MUSIC FROM CDS & EXTERNAL DEVICES ..................................28
TAGGING YOUR MUSIC ................................................................................28
COPYING MUSIC FROM AUDIO CDS ............................................................29
COPYING MUSIC FROM OTHER DISCS, DRIVES, OR DEVICES ................30
DECK MODE SETTINGS (A AND B) ..................................................................31
PITCH .............................................................................................................31
CONTROL.......................................................................................................31
DISPLAY .........................................................................................................32
VIEWS.................................................................................................................33
TRACK VIEW ..................................................................................................33
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PROFILE VIEW ...............................................................................................33
•
CREATING TRACK PROFILES .....................................................................33
•
WORKING WITH TRACK PROFILES ..............................................................33
UTILITY...............................................................................................................34
•
COPYING ................................................................................................34
•
UPDATES ................................................................................................34
•
RESTORE ................................................................................................34
•
DISPLAY .................................................................................................35
•
CALIBRATE ..............................................................................................35
•
LICENSES................................................................................................35
HDMIX SOFTWARE UPGRADES ......................................................................36
UPGRADE PROCEDURE ...............................................................................36
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS .................................................................................37
USB DEVICE COMPATIBILITY ..........................................................................38
USB CONNECTION ........................................................................................38
SUPPORTED STORAGE DEVICES ...............................................................38
IDENTIFYING LIBRARIES ..............................................................................38
SUPPORTED FILE SYSTEMS........................................................................39
AVOIDING AND FIXING ERRORS..................................................................39
DEFRAGMENTATION ....................................................................................39
KEEPING YOUR DATA SAFE.........................................................................39
EXPLANATION OF DIGITAL AUDIO ..................................................................40
COMPRESSION .............................................................................................40
TAGGING........................................................................................................40
FORMATS.......................................................................................................40
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS .........................................................................42
LICENSING INFORMATION...............................................................................42
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...............................................................................42
INTRODUCTION
HDMIX is a revolutionary all-in-one DJ system, featuring a dual-deck console, removeable/upgradeable harddrive, CD/DVD player and powerful integrated mixer. Equipped with a ground-breaking and easily accessible
user interface, HDMIX empowers the DJ to quickly find, organize and perform tracks from the internal harddrive, CD/DVD player or USB storage devices connected to the unit. HDMIX can play MP3, WAV and AAC*
music formats stored on FAT16, FAT32, NTFS and HFS+ file systems.
Songs can be directed manually to decks or automatically played, jukebox-style. Searching for artists,
albums or tracks is made super fast with the supplied USB keyboard.
Powerful tools such as the Crate and Profile View offer a digital slant on traditional DJ methods. The Crate
can be used to prepare and arrange your set in advance, during your performance or a mixture of both. The
Profile View offers a fast visual cueing aid, much like looking at the grooves on a record, but better!
In addition to its impressive digital music playback capabilities, the HDMIX provides a variety of options for
connecting external devices, such as turntables, CD players, samplers and microphones. This seamless
integration of digital and analog makes the HDMIX a perfect weapon of choice for any occasion. Happy
mixing!
FEATURES
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Large backlit, full-color display with revolutionary user interface
3-channel professional mixer with EQ & Gain on each channel
User-replaceable, upgradeable 80GB Hard Drive
CD/DVD drive for ripping your music to the Hard drive and CD playback
2 USB ports for iPod, thumb drives and hard drives (or for connecting the included keyboard)
2 Mic, 3 line, 2 phono inputs
XLR/RCA Master and RCA Zone outputs
Scratch with MP3, WAV and AAC (unprotected) files
Pitch control with range up to +25% and down to -100%
Key lock support for maintaining key while tempo shifting
Seamless looping, pitch control, scratching capability via jog wheels
Text-search, letter-pick scrolling, and on-board playlist creation
Beatkeeper™ technology with TAP override function
Search via two large jog wheels and use skip peak searching in profiles
Track search by artist, album, song, genre, year and BPM
Create custom playlists while performing
Keyboard included for fast searching
Transfer tracks between HDMIX and your PC or Mac via USB
Safe Software Updates for future enhancements. Go to www.numark.com for support.
IMPORTANT MESSAGES
HDMIX works best with the latest software installed. We strongly recommend that you check for software updates
right away, and continue to check regularly so you don't miss out on any of the good stuff! See “HDMIX Software
Upgrades” section for details.
Don't Force It
USB devices fit into the USB socket one way around only. If the device does not push in easily, don't force it
– check that you have it the right way around!
Eject Before Pulling
When you're finished with a storage device, always properly eject it before unplugging, just like with your
home computer! Unplugging without ejecting can damage your data. See “Ejecting a Library” section for
details.
USB Gizmos
Mice, trackpads and other input devices will do nothing for your HDMIX. Most USB keyboards are
supported but we recommend you use the cool Numark keyboard supplied.
® iPod is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S.A. and other countries.
* Protected AAC audio files downloaded from the iTunes Music Store cannot be accessed.
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CONNECTION DIAGRAM
1/4” or 1/8”
HEADPHONES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Make sure the following items were in the box:
ƒ HDMIX Professional DJ System
ƒ Hard Drive Caddy with 2 Keys
ƒ 80Gb Hard Drive (removable and upgradeable) with Librarian software
ƒ USB Cable
ƒ USB Keyboard
ƒ Switching Power Supply
ƒ Quickstart Manual
ƒ Safety & Warranty Information
READ SAFETY INSTRUCTION BOOKLET BEFORE USING THE PRODUCT.
Study this connection diagram.
Place the HDMIX in an appropriate position for operation.
Make sure all devices are turned off and all faders and gain knobs are set to their lowest level.
Connect the stereo outputs of the HDMIX to a speaker or amplifier system.
Plug all devices into AC power.
Switch everything on in the following order:
• Input devices (turntables, CD players)
• HDMIX
• Amplifiers or output devices
Always reverse this operation by turning off devices in the following order:
• Amplifiers or output devices
• HDMIX
• Input devices (turntables, CD players)
More information about this product may be found at http://www.numark.com
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TOP PANEL OVERVIEW
1.
Power Button – This
button is used to turn the
HDMIX on and off.
Please always use this
button when powering off
the unit. Unplugging the
adapter or switching off
power from an external
source, such as a power
strip, may result in
damage to the unit or the
removable media.
To
power down the unit,
please hold the power
button until the shutdown
process completes.
2.
Deck Section A – This
area features the controls
for deck A. Please see
“Deck Controls (A and B)”
section of this manual for
description of deck controls.
3.
Deck Section B – This area features the controls for deck B. Please see “Deck Controls (A and B)” section of
this manual for description of deck controls.
4.
Global Controls Section – This area features the LCD screen and the global controls of the HDMIX. Please
see “Global Controls” for description of global controls.
5.
Mixer Controls – These are the controls of the internal analog mixer. Please see “Mixer Controls” section of
this manual for descriptions of these controls.
FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW
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1
5
3
1.
4
CD/DVD Drive – Insert CD/DVD discs into this drive. You can play audio CDs as well as data CD and DVD
discs, as long as the music files are in one of the compatible file formats. See "Formats" section for more
information on supported file formats.
Please Note: It is recommended that only one song be played or cued from a single audio CD at a time.
Playing two songs from the same CD could cause audio drop-outs to occur.
2.
Eject– This button opens and closes the CD/DVD drive tray. Please note that you cannot eject the tray if
actively playing back or cueing music from the drive.
3.
Hard Drive – The unit’s hard drive holds your personal music collection, which is ready to use as soon as the
HDMIX is powered on. When connected to a computer, this hard drive will show up as an external drive,
allowing you to transfer music and build a Library directly from your computer.
4.
Lock – Use the included key to lock and unlock the hard drive from its enclosure. Please note that the hard
drive needs to be in and locked for the hard drive to function.
5.
Headphone Outputs (1/4” or 1/8”) – Connect your 1/4” or 1/8” headphones to these outputs.
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REAR PANEL OVERVIEW
2
3 4
5
6 7
8
9
1
10
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1.
Power – Please plug in the supplied power adapter (DC 12V 2A) and connect it to a power source. Please
only use the supplied power adapter – using an alternate power adapter may result in damage to the HDMIX.
2.
XLR Output (Master) – Connect these balanced outputs to an amplifier or
speaker system. In general, we recommend using these balanced outputs,
especially for long cable runs.
The Master output level is
controlled with the Master
knob on the top panel.
3.
RCA Output (Master) – Connect these unbalanced outputs to an amplifier or
speaker system.
4.
RCA Output (Zone) – This is an auxiliary output which can be used for sending your mix to audio recorders or
an additional speaker system for mix monitoring. The output level is controlled with the Zone knob on the top
panel.
5.
RCA Input (Channel 3) – Connect external audio devices to this input. If connecting phono-level turntables,
make sure that you set the LINE / PHONO switch to PHONO. If connecting line-level devices, such as CD
players and samplers, please set the switch to LINE. Please note that Channel 3 is routed to the right side of
the crossfader.
6.
RCA Input (Channel 2) – Connect external audio devices to this input. This input only allows for line-level
devices, such as CD players and samplers. Please note that Channel 2 is routed to the left side of the
crossfader.
7.
RCA Input (Channel 1) – Connect external audio devices to this input. If connecting phono-level turntables,
make sure that you set the LINE / PHONO switch to PHONO. If connecting line-level devices, such as CD
players and samplers, please set the switch to LINE. Please note that Channel 1 is not routed to the
crossfader.
8.
MIC 2 – Connect a ¼” microphone to this input. The signal from this input is routed to Channel 1. You can
select between the RCA inputs or this microphone channel by flipping the LINE / MIC 2 switch on the top panel
to the appropriate position.
9.
MIC 1 – Connect a ¼” microphone to this input. The signal from this input is routed to the Mic Channel on the
left side of the mixer.
10.
USB Port – Use the included USB cable to connect the HDMIX to your computer for transferring and building
your music. There are two connection scenarios:
a.
Not connected – you can access music from the hard drive or the CD/DVD player directly from the
HDMIX.
b.
Connected to computer – when connected to a computer’s USB port, the HDMIX functions as an
external hard drive and CD-ROM. We highly recommend using the Librarian application, included on the
drive, to build your music Library after copying your music to the HDMIX. Do this while the HDMIX is still
connected to the computer.
IMPORTANT:
Always follow proper procedure when
disconnecting the HDMIX or your computer.
Failure to
properly eject the drive before removing the connection or
turning off power may damage the drive and its contents.
11.
USB Inputs – Attach additional mass storage media to these USB ports. You may also connect the included
USB keyboard to one of these ports for quick navigation and searching.
Note: HDMIX can play MP3, WAV and AAC music formats stored on FAT16, FAT32, NTFS (read-only)
and HFS+ file systems.
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GLOBAL CONTROLS
This section contains the global controls for the HDMIX, such as navigation and function controls, as well as
the Beatkeeper and a large LCD screen to browse and monitor your performance.
The features of the global
section are as follows:
1.
2.
PUSH SELECT – This
knob is used to navigate
lists, change settings, and
operate various parts of
the User Interface. It can
be pressed to select or
change the highlighted
item, when appropriate.
LCD – The large screen
displays information about
the HDMIX, the decks,
your attached removable
media and different menu
options.
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3.
LIBRARY – This button allows you to access the library of music stored on the removable media
connected to the HDMIX. Please refer to the “Navigating the Library” section of this manual for more
information on how to browse and load music from your removable media.
4.
CRATE – This button allows you to view the “Crate”. Any tracks that you send to the Crate will appear
in this list. While you are viewing the Crate, you can use the multifunctional buttons below the screen
to send tracks to either deck for mixing, pull them back into the Crate for later use if they are already
playing, or remove them from the Crate altogether. You may also switch the track order in the Crate, if
you would like, by pressing the PUSH SELECT knob on a track, rotating the knob to select a different
location in the list, then pressing the PUSH SELECT knob again to place the track at the selected
location. Please see “The Crate” section of this manual for more information on the Crate feature.
5.
UTILITY – Pressing this button will take you to the Utility menu where you can adjust display
preferences, restore settings to their factory default state and calibrate the pitch sliders. Please see
“Utility” section for details.
6.
VIEW – You may use this button to access different information about the music playing on the decks.
The VIEW button will toggle between Track View and Profile View. Please see “Views” section for
more information.
7.
< / > Buttons – These two buttons are used to scroll through available pages of selections, when
available. If there are additional pages to be viewed, the arrow segments above the buttons will be
highlighted. These buttons are also used to move the cursor when entering text.
8.
Menu Buttons – These four buttons are used to select from available menu items displayed on the
screen. Depending on the menu that you are viewing, the functionality of these buttons will change.
The screen will display the function of the button directly above it.
9.
EJECT – Press this button to select which mass storage device you would like to eject. When you
press this button, you will see a list of the devices currently attached to the HDMIX. Select which
device you would like to eject, using the multifunctional buttons below the display.
Please note: Always eject your devices before physically removing them from the HDMIX.
If you fail to eject a device before removing it, the data on the device may become corrupt
and unusable.
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10.
THE BEATKEEPER™ - The Beatkeeper™ automatically tracks beats based upon a combination of
frequencies and rhythm patterns in the music. It shows BPM in the display and outputs 4-count (a.k.a.
one measure) information about the music in a marching bar graph. The left bar represents the beat of
the music playing on the left (deck A), while the right bar represents the beat of the music playing on
the right (deck B). The middle bar will light up blue when the downbeats of the music playing on both
decks occur at the same time. However, please note that in order for the two songs to mix well
together, the downbeats should not only line up now and then, but should occur simultaneously over a
continuous period of time.
The Bar Graph: Most dance music and rock is set up in 4 beat increments called
measures. The bottom LED represents the 1st beat or “Down Beat”. Occasionally this
may not be correct or you may wish to reset it. To reset the downbeat on either deck
simply tap the TAP button at the new downbeat location as the music is playing or while
paused.
DECK CONTROLS (A AND B)
The HDMIX features two independent decks.
These decks are used for controlling playback
of music from the internal hard-drive and
CD/DVD player.
The two decks feature
identical controls, so we will use Deck A as
our example (shown on the right).
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4
The controls for each deck are as follows:
1.
PLAY/STUTTER – Pressing this button
starts the music loaded on the
corresponding deck. A cue point is set
at the current position and the music
begins playing. Pressing this button
while the unit is playing will restart the
song from the cue point, which is useful
for creating a "stutter" effect.
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5
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Please note: The HDMIX uses instant
start for tracks with silent or near-silent
lead-ins. Such tracks automatically cue
to the start of the audio passage when
loaded to a deck.
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2.
PAUSE – Stops the music playing on the corresponding deck. If you press and hold the PAUSE button
down for 1 second while paused, you will go back to the beginning of the track.
3.
CUE – Returns and pauses the music at the last set Cue Point. The Cue Point is the last place where
PLAY/STUTTER was pressed or the start of the track, if it has not yet been pressed. You can audition
the music, starting at the Cue Point, by pressing and holding down the CUE button again – the music
will play for as long as the button is held down and once the button is released, will jump back and
pause at the Cue Point. You can also easily edit the cue point by spinning the jog wheel to a new
position while paused. As you spin the jog wheel, the music will sound. By stopping the jog wheel and
pressing PLAY, a new Cue Point is set.
Rotate to new cue point
Press
“PAUSE”
Press “PLAY/STUTTER”
Returns and pauses at new Cue Point
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Press “CUE”
4.
JOG WHEEL – This wheel can be used for pitch bending, scratching and searching through the music
playing on the deck. The functionality of the wheel is determined by the two accompanying buttons –
SCRATCH and SEARCH.
While a track is playing on the deck, the jog wheel functions as a pitch bend. Pitch bending
temporarily speeds up (turn clockwise) or slows down (turn counter-clockwise) the music. This
technique is used when you are mixing two beat-matched tracks which may not be completely
synchronized. Hence, with pitch bending you can temporarily slow down or speed up the track
you are mixing so its beats “lock” with the beats of the track that is already playing.
While a track is paused, you can use the jog wheel to seek through the music to a new cue point
location. Pressing PLAY/STUTTER following this will set the cue point at this location.
In Scratch Mode, the jog wheel allows you to scratch the music in much the same way that a DJ
scratches a vinyl record. As the music is playing, you can move the jog wheel back and forth to
create a scratching effect. When you stop the wheel, normal playback will resume. To resume
with no gap in the audio, “push off” by scratching forward at approximately normal playback
speed before releasing the wheel.
In Search Mode, the jog wheel allows you to quickly scan and search through the music playing.
When Scratch Mode is enabled, turning the jog wheel will quickly fast forward and rewind.
5.
SCRATCH – Use this button to engage Scratch Mode. Scratch Mode allows you to “scratch” the music
on the deck by moving the jog wheel forward and backward.
6.
SEARCH – Use this button to engage Search Mode. Search Mode allows you to use the jog wheel to
quickly scan through the current track. If you do not touch the wheel for 8 seconds you will
automatically exit Search Mode.
7.
PITCH SLIDER – Each deck features a pitch slider which is used to control the speed of the music.
Moving the slider toward “-” results in a lower pitch (and slower tempo) of the music, while moving the
slider toward “+” results in a higher pitch (and faster tempo) of the music.
8.
PITCH BUTTON – This button adjusts the range of control the Pitch Slider has on the overall speed of
music. Pressing the button will cycle through pitch ranges of ± 0, 6, 12, 25, and +25/-100%. Selecting
0 will deactivate the pitch slider.
Note: Different pitch ranges allow for different precision over the speed of the music. Selecting a
smaller pitch range, such as ±6%, allows you to have more precise control over the speed of the
music. Selecting a larger pitch range, such as +25/-100%, allows for more extreme speed
adjustments and can be used for interesting effects.
Note: Press and hold the Pitch button for 2 seconds to enable or disable Keylock.
9.
TAP – Pressing this button in time with the beat will help the Beatkeeper detect the proper tempo.
Holding the button for 1 seconds will cause the BPM counter to reset and recalculate.
10.
MODE – Pressing this button will bring up deck options, such as Pitch and Keylock settings, Track
Loading, Time Display and Fader Start. You can use the PUSH SELECT knob to dial in the desired
values and pressing down on the knob will move on to the next option. Pressing MODE button again
will exit the deck options dialog.
PITCH PAGE:
Pitch Shift – shows the value of pitch shift applied to the deck.
Key Lock Shift – shows the amount of tempo shift applied to the deck while Key Lock is engaged.
Pitch Range – selects the desired pitch range (0%, ±6%, ±12%, ±25%, +25/-100%).
Key Lock – engages and disengages the Key Lock feature.
Note: Pitch settings will not take effect until you close the Mode dialog.
CONTROL PAGE:
Track Loading – specifies how tracks in the crate will be loaded and played (Manual, Repeat,
Automatic, Continuous, Cyclic)
Fader Start – specifies how fader start will be used on the deck (Off, Cue, Pause)
Jog Mode – describes the operation of the deck’s jog wheel when cueing music (Vinyl, CD)
DISPLAY PAGE:
Time Display – toggles between the different time display modes (Elapsed, Remaining)
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Looping Controls
The HDMIX features seamless looping, which means
that if you define a loop, there is no delay when the
music loops back to the beginning. This looping
feature lets you be very creative with your mixes,
allowing you to extend desired sections of a song for
as long as you want, or create remixes on the fly.
11.
LOOP IN - This is the point where you would like a loop to start. By default, a “loop in” point is automatically
set to the current cue point (defaulting to the the beginning of the track) unless a new “loop in” point is set. To
define a new "loop in" point, press the LOOP IN button when the song reaches the desired point where you
would like a loop to begin. The LOOP IN button will light, indicating a new "loop in" point has been set. You
can now press the RELOOP button to immediately go back to the "loop in" point and begin playing. If you wish
to change the "loop in" point, just press the LOOP IN button again.
Please note: The LOOP IN button can also be used to create a live cue point. Once you press LOOP IN, a
cue point will be set at that location in the music. You can always return to this cue point by holding down CUE
and pressing the LOOP IN button – the deck will pause and return to the LOOP IN point. You can resume
playback from this point by pressing the PLAY button.
12.
LOOP OUT - Sets the end point of the loop. The first time you press LOOP OUT while a song is playing, the
LOOP OUT button will blink and the song will begin playing in a seamless loop starting from the “loop in” point
and ending at the “loop out” point. To release or end the loop, press LOOP OUT a second time and play will
continue forward when the song passes the previously set loop out point. The LOOP OUT button will then be
continuously lit, indicating that the loop is now in memory for re-looping purposes.
Please note: The LOOP OUT button can also be used to create a live cue point. Once you press LOOP OUT,
a cue point will be set at that location in the music. You can always return to this cue point by holding down
CUE and pressing the LOOP OUT button – the deck will pause and return to the LOOP OUT point. You can
resume playback from this point by pressing the PLAY button.
13.
RELOOP - Repeats play “stutters” from the “Loop In” point. If a loop has been set, it plays and repeats a
previously set loop, until it is released by pressing LOOP OUT a second time.
Press LOOP IN to set the beginning of the loop,
then press LOOP OUT to set the end point of the
loop. Once you press LOOP OUT, the HDMIX will
loop between these two points. If you press LOOP
OUT again, the HDMIX will exit the loop and
continue playing normally.
If you press LOOP IN but
then decide you want to
set a different "Loop In"
point, just press LOOP IN
again. Then press LOOP
OUT to start looping
between the in and out
points.
The "Loop In" point can also be used
as a way to "stutter" play beginning
from a certain point in a song. Just
press LOOP IN to set the "Stutter”
point, then press RELOOP to begin
play from the “Stutter” point. Each
time you press RELOOP, the HDMIX
will jump back to the “Stutter” point
and play from that point.
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MIXER CONTROLS
The HDMIX sports a powerful DJ mixer which can be used to mix audio from the internal hard drive, USB
storage devices, as well as additional input devices, such as CD players, turntables and microphones
connected to the inputs on the rear panel.
1.
2.
MICROPHONE CHANNEL – This channel features the following microphone controls, which affect the
Mic 1 input signal. Please note that the microphone signal is not routed to the crossfader and will be
sent directly to the master mix.
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MIC – Mutes and unmutes the microphone signal. When muted (LED is off), the microphone
signal will not be routed to the master mix.
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TREBLE – Adjusts the high (treble) frequencies of the microphone signal ± 10dB.
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BASS – Adjusts the low (bass) frequencies of the microphone signal ± 10dB.
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GAIN – Adjusts the microphone channel’s pre-fader gain level ± 10dB.
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CUE – Sends the microphone signal to the Headphone channel for auditioning.
CHANNEL 1 – This is an auxillary channel for connecting an additional microphone, turntable or linelevel device. Please note that this channel is not routed to the crossfader and will be sent directly to the
master mix. This channel features the following controls:
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LINE / MIC 2 – Selects the input source to be routed to this mixer channel. Select LINE if you
would like to route an external input source, such as a CD player or turntable, connected to the
Channel 1 inputs on the rear panel. (If using a phono-level turntable, plese make sure that the
Channel 1 LINE / PHONO switch is set to PHONO). Select MIC 2 if you would like to route the
MIC 2 signal to this channel.
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TRIM – Adjusts the channel’s pre-fader gain level ± 10dB.
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TREBLE – Adjusts the high (treble) frequencies of the channel ± 10dB.
ƒ
MID – Adjusts the mid-range frequencies of the channel ± 10dB.
ƒ
BASS – Adjusts the low (bass) frequencies of the channel ± 10dB.
ƒ
VOLUME FADER – Adjusts channel volume.
ƒ
CUE – Sends the Channel 1 signal to the Headphone channel for cueing.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
CHANNEL 2 – This channel is routed to the left side of the crossfader and features the following
controls:
ƒ
LINE / DECK A – Selects the input source to be routed to this mixer channel. Select LINE if you
would like to route an external line-level input source, such as a CD player, to this channel.
Select DECK A if you would like to route virtual deck A to this channel (tracks can be sent to the
virtual deck via the menus on the screen).
ƒ
TRIM – Adjusts the channel’s pre-fader gain level ± 10dB.
ƒ
TREBLE – Adjusts the high (treble) frequencies of the channel ± 10dB.
ƒ
MID – Adjusts the mid-range frequencies of the channel ± 10dB.
ƒ
BASS – Adjusts the low (bass) frequencies of the channel ± 10dB.
ƒ
VOLUME FADER – Adjusts channel volume.
ƒ
CUE – Sends the Channel 1 signal to the Headphone channel for cueing.
CHANNEL 3 – This channel is routed to the right side of the crossfader and features the following
controls.
ƒ
LINE / DECK B – Selects the input source to be routed to this mixer channel. Select LINE if you
would like to route an external input source, such as a CD player or turntable (if using a phonoline turntable, plese make sure that the Channel 3 LINE / PHONO switch is set to PHONO).
Select DECK B if you would like to route the virtual deck to this channel (tracks can be sent to the
virtual deck via the menus on the screen).
ƒ
TRIM – Adjusts the channel’s pre-fader gain level ± 10dB.
ƒ
TREBLE – Adjusts the high (treble) frequencies of the channel ± 10dB.
ƒ
MID – Adjusts the mid-range frequencies of the channel ± 10dB.
ƒ
BASS – Adjusts the low (bass) frequencies of the channel ± 10dB.
ƒ
VOLUME FADER – Adjusts channel volume.
ƒ
CUE – Sends the Channel 1 signal to the Headphone channel for cueing.
MASTER CHANNEL – This channel controls the Master and Zone outputs.
ƒ
BALANCE – Adjusts the Master mix in the left-right panorama. As the knob is moved to the right,
the left side of the signal is attenuated and vice versa.
ƒ
ZONE – Adjusts the level of the Zone output. The Zone output is most often connected to audio
recorders or additional speaker systems for monitoring your mix. The Zone knob allows you to
set the audio level sent to these devices, independently of the Master output audio levels.
ƒ
MASTER – Adjusts the level of the Master output.
ƒ
MONO – Mixes the Master stereo mix to mono. This is useful when connecting the HDMIX to
power amplifiers or speaker systems which require a mono input.
HEADPHONE CUE CONTROLS – These controls affect the signal in the Headphone channel:
ƒ
SPLIT – “Splits” the headphone audio such that all channels sent to CUE are mixed to mono and
applied to the left headphone output and the Master output is mixed to mono and applied to the
right channel.
ƒ
CUE TONE – Adjusts the tone of the Headphone output. Turn the knob to the left to accentuate
low (bass) frequencies or turn the knob to the right to accentuate high (treble) frequencies.
ƒ
CUE GAIN – Adjusts the level of the Headphone output.
ƒ
CUE MIX – Crossfades between CUE and MASTER. Please note that this will only have an
effect while SPLIT is disabled.
CROSSFADER CONTROLS:
ƒ
CROSSFADER – Blends audio between Channels 2 & 3. In the right-most position, you will hear
only audio present on Channel 2. In center position, you will hear Channels 2 & 3
simultaneously. In the left-most position, you will hear only audio present on Channel 3.
ƒ
CROSSFADER ON / OFF – This switch turn the crossfader on and off. When the crossfader is
turned off, Channels 2 & 3 will be sent directly to the Master mix and crossfader position will have
no effect.
13
HOW TO WORK WITH HDMIX
HDMIX introduces some revolutionary concepts for the Digital DJ, however working with the product is quick
and easy. Many of the digital features reflect traditional DJ techniques that you'll already be familiar with. In
fact there is no one correct way to work with HDMIX as you'll discover the more you experiment, but here are
the basics...
È Get Digital!
Before you can start with HDMIX you need to get your content into one of the supported digital formats.
“USB Device Compatibility” section of this manual covers this process in detail, but in brief you should
use your PC or Mac to convert your CDs, records and tapes into WAV, MP3 or AAC format. If you
already use digital media products such as personal MP3 players or PC DJ packages, then you may
already have your tracks in a suitable format. In addition to loading music from your computer to the
HDMIX, you can copy music from your audio CDs directly to the HDMIX. The HDMIX also allows you to
copy files to and from other drives (such as a mass storage device or the HDMIX’s CD/DVD Drive). It's
worth taking some care at this stage to ensure your content is converted to a high standard. You might
find products such as Numark's TTUSB computer-attached turntable useful for getting your traditional
media converted.
È Get Ready!
Before the gig, you should check that the HDMIX and other portable media devices you intend to use in
your session are loaded with the content you need. To save time, you can use the Librarian tool in your
PC to prepare a library for each device (see “Creating a Library” section). It's always a good idea to
carry a backup copy of your content, a precaution which is really easy in the digital world.
14
È Gig!
You got your content ready, now it's time to plug and play!
1.
Prepare your Crate
HDMIX contains your virtual record Crate. Send tracks from the Library to the Crate to start
building your set, just like pulling and tilting records. Refer to “Using the Library” section of this
manual for more details. You can do this (and the next step) well in advance if you want and as
long as your media is not write protected your Crate will be automatically saved.
2.
Order it how you want
Refine your set by ordering tracks in the Crate - or if you prefer to pick out the next track on the fly
then you can. Use the Crate in any way that suits your style.
3.
Cue tracks out of the Crate
Send tracks from the Crate to decks as needed. If your Crate is carefully ordered then HDMIX
can automatically cue the next track when a deck runs out. If you want to leave your set
unattended you can use a continuous mode to automatically play each track in turn. Refer to
“Track Loading” section for information on automatic track loading and playback.
4.
Change the set any time you need to
The Crate is dynamic - change your mind at any time, insert requested tracks, re-order your set use the Crate as a tool to organise your performance.
5.
Bypass the Crate for one-offs and last minute cues
You can send tracks from the Library direct to a deck if you want. This doesn't affect what's in the
Crate so you can mix your methods of working any way you like.
6.
Perform the way you always did
Once a track is on a deck, you can cue, beat match, scratch and loop using familiar Numark deck
controls. HDMIX is fully multi-tasking, so you can work on your set using the Library and Crate at
any time, even while mixing on both decks.
Read on to learn how to get the most from your HDMIX!
15
THE GRAPHICAL INTERFACE
HDMIX boasts a ground breaking graphical interface, set to revolutionise your DJ experience. The interface
provides fast and friendly access to the advanced features of the product, and is designed to fit with how you
work. To make this possible, HDMIX is fully multitasking - you can instantly switch between functions, and if
one of them is busy for a while (perhaps building a new library) everything else remains accessible.
In this section we'll explore the graphical interface, which takes no more than a few minutes to master, then
in later sections we can focus on the DJ features of HDMIX.
„ Switching On and Off
Use the power button in the top right corner of the HDMIX to switch on and off.
To switch on, press and release the power button. It will light up red and the HDMIX will start up. Take care
not to hold the power button down when switching on, as this will invoke Upgrader Mode (see “HDMIX
Software Upgrades” section).
To switch off, press and hold the power button. A timer bar will appear on screen, filling from left to right as long as the
power button is held. The HDMIX will power off when the bar reaches the right hand side, which takes about three
seconds. This is to prevent accidental power down during a performance.
„ The Display
Central to HDMIX is the large graphical display. Some parts of this are dedicated to certain functions, while others
change depending on what you're doing.
DECK DISPLAY (B)
DECK DISPLAY (A)
WORK AREA
MENU
„ Deck Displays
Playback information for each deck is always visible, no matter what you're doing. Here you can check what tracks are
cued, time information, pitch adjustment and other important data. See “Views” section for details.
WAIT – this symbol means that the deck is busy loading a song, indicated by the
progress bar. By using the Librarian software to pre-prepare your music library,
songs will load faster, ready to play.
PAUSE – this symbol means that the deck is currently paused.
CUE – this symbol means that the deck is currently paused at the cue point.
PLAY – this symbol means that the deck is currently playing.
AUTOMATIC – indicates that Automatic track loading option is enabled. See
“Track Loading” section for more information.
CONTINUOUS – indicates that Continuous track loading option is enabled. See
“Track Loading” section for more information.
CYCLIC – indicates that Cyclic track loading option is enabled. See “Track
Loading” section for more information.
KEY LOCK – indicates that the Key Lock feature has been engaged. The icon
will blink if Key Lock is disengaged but there is still a Key Lock Shift applied.
REPEAT – indicates Repeat Mode; track loaded on deck will loop once it reaches
the end.
16
„ Menu Bar
At the bottom is the Menu Bar which shows any menu
options that are available. Each menu option is displayed
above its physical menu button - simply press the button to
activate that option. The option will briefly highlight to
confirm you have selected it.
There are four physical menu buttons but a menu is not
restricted to just four options. When more options are
available an arrow will appear indicating that the next (right)
or previous (left) menu buttons may be pressed to move to a
different page of options.
„ Work Area
The largest part of the display is
dedicated to the function you are
currently using.
The four main
functions - Library, Crate, View and
Utility - each have their own button to
select them. The buttons light up
bright when their function is selected.
You can always identify what you see
in the Work Area from its title bar.
„ Progress Bar
When a large library is being created or updated (see “The Library” section) a Progress Bar will appear
just above the Menu Bar. The indicator fills from left to right to indicate how much work remains to be
done.
Most functions of your HDMIX are instantaneous, but some intensive actions such as sending a large
list of tracks to the Crate can take a few seconds. If a function is expected to take more than a couple
of seconds a spinning work indicator is shown so you know work is in progress.
17
„ Using Lists
HDMIX makes extensive use of lists to give you fast
access to your tracks. Lists are displayed within the
Work Area and are navigated using the rotary Push
Select knob and the Menu Bar.
To move up and down through a list simply rotate the
Push Select knob. A highlight on screen indicates
which item is currently selected, and if the list is too
long to fit on screen all at once it will move up and
down as you rotate at the top or bottom of the Work
Area. For long lists a bar at the right of the Work Area
shows how much of the list you can see, and how far
through the list you are.
If the currently highlighted item is something that can
be selected simply push the Push Select knob. Other
options relating to the list or to the currently highlighted
item may appear in the Menu Bar.
The best way to get familiar with lists is to build and
experiment with a Library. See “The Library” section
for details.
„ Using Dialogs
A Dialog can appear in part or all of the Work Area and is used to send you information, to get a
response, to allow you to enter information or to change settings. Sometimes a Dialog may have its
own Menu Bar, other times not. There will always be a title so you know to what the Dialog refers.
18
„ Responding to Questions
When HDMIX needs to send you a messsage or
ask you a question it will do so with a Dialog. If a
response is required the options will appear in the
Menu Bar. Select the desired option to answer the
question and the Dialog will close, returning you to
whatever you were doing.
In this example, HDMIX is responding to the DJ's
command to clear all tracks from the Crate by
checking if he is really sure.
„ Changing Settings
A Dialog can be used to change settings, in which
case each setting is shown with the active setting
highlighted. Its value can be changed simply by
rotating the Push Select knob - some settings have
a textual description for each value, others have a
sliding bar. To change a different setting, press the
Push Select knob. Keep pressing to cycle through
all the settings in turn. Changes to Pitch settings
will take effect when the Mode window is closed.
All other setting changes take effect immediately.
In this example the DJ is changing the mode
settings for Deck A.
„ Entering Text
A text entry box is used whenever you need to get some text into HDMIX, for example while searching
for a track or naming a playlist. Unlike other kinds of settings the text entry box has its own menu
which works along with the Push Select knob to make it easy to enter text with or without a keyboard.
A highlighted box on the right shows the character which you are about to enter and the menu can be
used to delete the previous character (Delete), insert a space (Space), switch between lower and upper
case (Caps), and finsh entering text (Done).
If you have a USB keyboard connected to your HDMIX you can simply type text straight into a text
entry box. This is the fastest way to enter text. Use the left and right cursor keys to move around
within the text you have entered. The Enter and Tab keys complete text entry the same as the Done
menu option.
If you do not have a keyboard connected you can enter characters using the Push Select knob. Rotate
left or right to move through each letter, numeral and symbol. To fix the desired character press the
Push Select knob. When you're finished, select Done.
19
THE LIBRARY
The Library is a collection of tracks which you can browse or search in many different ways. HDMIX allows you to
work with several libraries at the same time, either by connecting multiple storage devices or by having multiple file
partitions on one device. Whether you prefer to work with one hard disk with all your tracks, or several flash memory
keys with different themes, the choice is yours.
Note: To go back to the last Library position at any time, press and hold the LIBRARY button.
PREPARING YOUR STORAGE DEVICE
HDMIX works with most USB storage devices that support the Mass Storage Class standard. See “USB Device
Compatibility” section for full details.
Use your PC or Macintosh computer to copy your WAV, MP3 and AAC format audio files to your USB Storage
Device. If your tracks are well tagged, you need not organise these in any particular way. HDMIX will make it easy
to find the tracks you need. However, if your tracks are not well tagged, or if you prefer to access them by folders,
you should organise them in a way that makes most sense to you. Playlists in the format PLS or M3U will be
included in the library, if present. It's OK to have other kinds of files on the storage device - HDMIX will simply
ignore them. However, large quantities of unrelated files will slow down creation of the library so we recommend
you use devices that are dedicated to your audio collection.
CREATING A LIBRARY
When your collection is prepared, the next step is to build a library. To access your tracks quickly later, HDMIX will
take time to scan your device to note the tracks and playlists you have. The library is stored in a special folder on
the device titled ".library" which may be invisible depending on your computer settings. If you want to erase a
library, use the Librarian application or simply delete this folder, but in general you should leave it alone.
There are two ways to build a library: either on the HDMIX itself or on your PC or Mac using the Librarian tool.
„ Building with Librarian
The Librarian program, which runs on your PC or Mac computer, is the fastest way to build a library and offers
advantages such as building profiles (see “Profile View” section for details). Full documentation is included
with the program, which can be downloaded from http://www.numark.com/.
„ Building with HDMIX
If you need to build a library away from your computer, you
can use the HDMIX itself. If your storage device has a Write
Protect switch, make sure it is in the off position, then insert
the device into one of the USB ports. Take care to get it the
right way around - the connection should be smooth, do not
force it! After a few seconds the New Library dialog will
appear...
To build a library, select Library. The process will take
anywhere from a couple of seconds to a few hours, depending
on how many tracks are on your device. While the library is
being built, you can play tracks from other devices connected
to different USB ports. Once the library has started building, a
progress bar will appear to show how much work is remaining.
If the device is full, you will be warned and it will not be
possible to build a library. If it is almost full, you will be given
the option to build a library but should be aware that you might
run out of space. In either case it is recommended that you
eject the device, erase a few tracks using your PC/Mac and
try again. In general, we suggest that you do not fill devices
beyond about 98% of capacity so HDMIX will have space for
the library and any playlists you may create later.
You could choose to skip building a library by selecting Files. In this case you will be able to access the device
immediately but only with the Files view - you will not have access to the advanced search and browsing
features. This could be useful if the device is on loan to play a request, or if you don't have time to build a
library.
When the library is built (or skipped) it is automatically loaded ready for use.
20
LOADING A LIBRARY
The library is saved onto its storage device so next time you insert the device it isn't necessary to go
through the entire procedure again. When a writable device which already contains a library is inserted,
the Loading Library dialog appears...
To load the existing library without checking for any changes, select Load. The device is immediately
available for use.
If the contents of the device have changed, for example
because you transferred some new tracks onto the device,
or deleted some old ones, you can update the library by
selecting Update. HDMIX will scan the device for changes
and update the library as needed. If you have added many
new tracks, this could take a while and the progress bar
will appear. Your library will be available for use when the
update is complete.
If a write-protected or NTFS device is connected a dialog
will appear to warn you about this. The dialog will note
whether the device contains a library (in which case it will
be loaded) or no library (in which case only Files view will
be available).
USING A LIBRARY
Press the Library button to open the Library work area. If no library is loaded, you will be prompted to
insert some media (see “Loading a Library” above). Otherwise, each available library will be listed in the
menu bar. If you have several devices or partitions connected, there will be several libraries to choose
from.
Although you can interact with one library at a time, you can instantly switch between libraries by selecting
them from the Library menu. Each library has a unique name within the menu which indicates how it is
connected such as "USB 1" (see “Identifying Libraries” section for details). There is also a device name,
such as "Flash Key", which is displayed as the title of the currently selected library.
At the top level the library offers a list of methods to access your content. These are:
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
Search
Track
Album
Artist
Genre
BPM
Year
Playlist
Files
Text search on Title, Album, Artist or All tags
Browse by Track Title
Browse by Album Title
Browse by Artist Name
Browse by Genre
Browse by BPM Range
Browse by Year
Browse by or Manage Playlists
Browse by File View
Move through this list using the Push Select knob and press to select your desired option. Deeper levels
of the library all offer a Back option on the menu to return to the previous level.
21
„ Searching
Searching provides fast, direct access to a track or tracks by matching text that you enter. First, select
the type of search you want to perform...
Rotate the Push Select knob or use the arrow keys on the keyboard (if connected) to select the type of
search. The search type can be:
¸
¸
¸
¸
All
Title
Album
Artist
The text is matched against all the tags (not just Title, Album or Artist)
The text is matched against track titles only
The text is matched against album titles only
The text is matched against artist names only
Once you have selected the desired type of search,
press the Push Select knob (or Tab on the keyboard)
to move to the text entry box. Now start to enter the
search text, either by rotating the Push Select knob or
with an attached USB keyboard. The character you
are entering is previewed on the right side of the text
box. Once you have entered the desired search text,
select Done from the text entry menu (Tab or Enter on
the keyboard). The results will be displayed on the
screen. You can now move through the list using the
Push Select knob, or press again to move back to the
search type option.
Please note that search text is matched to any position within each tag. So, to search for tracks on an
album containing the word "Love", select an Album search, enter "LOVE" (upper or lower case is not
important) and select Done. The search will match tracks on any album with the word "Love" in its title,
such as "The Greatest Love Songs", "Love Boat" and "A Lovely Collection".
Note that searching always returns a list of tracks - you can narrow down by artist, album or other tags
and you will see the tracks that are contained within that album or by that artist, etc.
Except when entering text, the search screen offers a set of menu options which refer to the currently
highlighted track. If no track is highlighted then only the Back option is available.
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
to A
to B
to Crate
Back
Playlist
Info
Send the track direct to deck A
Send the track direct to deck B
Send the track to the Crate
Return to the Library top level
Send the track to a playlist
Get detailed info about the track
Menu options to send a track direct to a deck are not available if that deck is currently playing back.
You should first pause the deck and then select the option. This will reduce the chance of accidentally
replacing a track that could be in the mix.
„ Browsing
Browsing offers a different method to find tracks within your library, by navigating through structured lists. Six
browsing options are available, each of them narrowing down toward a list of tracks:
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
Track
Album
Artist
Genre
BPM
¸
Year
Browse by Track Title
Browse by Album Title
then Track Title
Browse by Artist Name
then Album Title
then Track Title
Browse by Genre
then Artist Name
then Album Title
Browse by Track Title
(press and rotate Push Select knob to select a BPM range)
Browse by Year
then Artist Name
then Album Title
22
then Track Title
then Track Title
Each list is navigated using the Push Select knob in the usual way, pressing to move to the next level, or
selecting the Back option from the menu to move to the previous level. At the top of each intermediate list is an
option "All". This means "All Tracks at this Level", so for example could mean "All tracks by this artist" if you
previously selected an artist and are viewing a list of albums by that artist. Sometimes there will be an option
"<Unknown>" for content where the particular tag has not been filled in.
As an example, let's browse for some dance music.
1. From the library top level select Genre, then move to
highlight and select Electronica & Dance.
2. A list of artists with dance tracks will appear. Select an
artist from the list.
3. A list of albums by that artist (and within the Electronica
& Dance genre) will appear. Select an album from the list.
4. A list of dance tracks by your chosen artist (and from
the selected album) will appear. You can load the tracks to
either deck or send them to the crate.
Browse screens offer a set of menu options which refer to the currently highlighted item. If nothing is
highlighted, then only the Back option is available; if the item is a collection of tracks then to Crate and Playlist
are also available; or if the item is a track then all options are available.
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
to A
to B
to Crate
Back
Playlist
Info
Send the track direct to deck A
Send the track direct to deck B
Send the track or collection of tracks to the crate
Return to the previous level
Send the track or collection of tracks to a playlist
Get detailed info about the track
Please note that, as always, menu options to send a track direct to a deck are not available if that deck is
currently playing back. The deck will have to be paused before you can load a track to it.
You will have noticed that, unlike the search function, browsing offers the possibility to work with collections of
tracks at a time. For example, you could choose to send an entire album to a playlist, or an entire genre to the
crate. However, a collection of tracks can never be sent to a deck, which accommodates just one track at a
time. Use the crate if you want to play a collection of tracks in turn.
When you choose to send content to a playlist a list of playlists in the library will pop up. Move the highlight to
the playlist you want, and select Add from the menu, or select Cancel to change your mind. If there are no
playlists you must first create one using the Playlist
option from the top level of the Library (see Working
with Playlists below).
You may also use the convenient Letter Picker feature
to browse and navigate large lists in the Library more
quickly. Press and rotate (while holding in) the Push
Select knob to bring up the Letter Picker – each click
moves by one initial letter at a time and only letters
actually used in the list will appear. Then release the
Push Select knob to jump to the first entry with the
selected initial letter.
23
„ File View
File view ("Files" from the top level of the library) is
available for any device, whether or not a library has
been built. It uses folder and filenames so is
particularly useful if you prefer to organise your
content on disk instead of (or as well as) with tags.
The view starts at the top level (root) of the device and
lists folders followed by tracks. Navigate with the Push
Select knob, pressing to move into folders and
selecting Back from the menu to return to the previous
level.
The file view offers a set of menu options which refer to the currently highlighted track. If no track is
highlighted then only the Back option is available. Playlist is only available if the device has a library.
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
to A
to B
to Crate
Back
Playlist
Send the track direct to deck A
Send the track direct to deck B
Send the track to the crate
Return to the previous level
Send the track to a playlist
„ Working with Playlists
Playlists are list of tracks in a particular order. You can create as many playlists as you wish using
HDMIX, and you can also create them on your PC or Mac in one of the supported formats (see
"Preparing your Storage Device" above). You might use them to save sets, or to organize tracks in a
personalised way. You can access and manage playlists from the Playlist option at the top level of the
library.
•
To add a new playlist select Add. A new playlist will appear in the list, with the default name
"New playlist 1/2/3/etc". Any playlists imported into the library from the storage device will
also appear in the list.
•
To delete a playlist select Delete and then Remove to confirm. Once confirmed this cannot
be undone so take care!
•
To rename a playlist select Rename. A dialog will pop up with a text box containing the
playlist name. Edit the text in the usual way, select Done to confirm.
•
To copy the contents of one playlist to another select Playlist. It is possible to send a
playlist to itself in which case the contents will be duplicated once. The contents of a playlist
can be sent to the Crate by selecting the to Crate option.
•
To browse a playlist, highlight it and press the Push Select knob. A list of tracks in order is
displayed with a set of menu options which refer to the currently highlighted track.
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
to A
to B
to Crate
Back
Remove
Clear
Info
Send the track direct to deck A
Send the track direct to deck B
Send the track or collection of tracks to the crate
Return to the previous level
Remove the track from the playlist
Remove all tracks from the playlist (requires confirmation)
Get detailed info about the track
The order of tracks within the playlist is saved so it is possible to re-order them using the Push Select
knob. Highlight the track to be moved and press the control. Rotate to move the track through the list to
its new position and press again or select Done to complete the operation. To drop the track back at its
original position select Undo.
24
EJECTING A LIBRARY
As with a PC or Mac computer it is very important to always eject a storage device
before unplugging it or cutting the power. This ensures that all files are properly
closed and that all data has been saved to the device. Failure to follow this instruction
can cause file system corruption which might render the device unusable (if this
happens, connect the device to your PC or Mac and follow the file system recovery
procedure for your particular operating system – see “Avoiding and Fixing Errors”
section).
To eject a library press the Eject button. This causes a
list of each active library to open...
Each library is listed with its short location name and
longer device name. Identify which library you wish to
eject and move the highlight over it. A message might
appear at the bottom of the work area:
In this case you must stop playback of the track or tracks
from that library before you can eject. This is to prevent
accidental ejection of a library which could be in the mix.
Another warning might appear:
In this case you are warned that some of the tracks in the
crate are stored on the library you have selected. If you
continue to eject these tracks will be removed from the
crate.
To proceed with ejecting select Eject from the menu. If
there are tracks in the crate you will be asked to confirm
the operation. Once the library or libraries for a particular
device have been ejected and are no longer present in
the list it is safe to physically remove the device. If you
have more than one device connected take care to
remove the right one!
If you are going to switch off the player there is no need to eject the libraries first, provided you switch off
by holding the power button for three seconds and not by cutting the power.
25
THE CRATE
The crate is an innovative tool for the digital DJ based upon one of the oldest tricks of the trade...
For decades the vinyl DJ has used his record crate as a scratchpad for organizing a set. Records to be
played - or to be considered for play - are pulled out, turned and propped above the rest. When no longer
needed, the record is dropped back out of sight. Between mixes the DJ can spend time flicking through the
collection to find more records to pull out, or to locate requests.
The crate feature of the HDMIX can be viewed much like a conventional
record crate. In other words, the crate contains the tracks that you would like
to play in your session. You do not necessarily need to have tracks loaded in
your crate - you can always directly load them to either deck - however, the
crate offers a good way to keep all the music that you would like to use in
your session organized and easily accessible.
You might have many thousands of tracks using several different devices as
your music sources. Having to browse each library every time you want to
select the next track can be time-consuming and confusing. Instead, you can
send the tracks to your crate and then easily access them while you perform.
The crate also helps to prevent situations where you might reach for a track
that you have already played. When a track is replaced on deck it is thrown
out unless you specifically choose to pull it back into the crate.
WORKING WITH THE CRATE
In “The Library” we considered several different methods to load tracks into the crate, whether by
searching, browsing, from playlists or direct from folders on disk. Now we will discover how to work with
that crate.
Press the Crate button to open the crate work area.
The crate comprises a list of tracks and a menu as follows:
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
to A
to B
swap A
swap B
pull A
pull B
Shuffle
Info
Remove
Clear
Send the track to deck A
Send the track to deck B
Swaps highlighted track with track on deck A
Swaps highlighted track with track on deck B
Pull the track on deck A back into the crate
Pull the track on deck B back into the crate
Shuffles the tracks in the crate
Get detailed info about the track
Remove the track from the crate
Remove all tracks from the crate
A track can be sent to, swapped or pulled from an inactive deck only. If a track is playing on the deck you
must pause it before sending, swapping or pulling.
26
The order of the crate is significant to HDMIX only in continuous play modes (see “Track Loading”
section). However, you may choose to maintain a play order as an aid to organizing your set. To move a
track in the crate first highlight it then press the Push Select knob. Rotate to move the track through the list
to its new position and press again or select Done to complete the operation. To drop the track back at its
original position select Undo. If you are using a keyboard the same operation may be achieved by
pressing the Return key on the highlighted track and using the arrow keys to select its new location.
Pressing Return again will put the selected track at this location. Note that a track pulled from a deck is
always sent to the top of the crate whereas tracks sent from the library always go to the bottom.
The Clear operation, which completely empties the crate, prompts for confirmation as it could be a little
inconvenient to do this by mistake during a performance!
LOADING AND SAVING THE CRATE
The crate is stored automatically within the library from which its tracks have been sent. Each time a
library is loaded HDMIX checks whether it previously had tracks in the crate and, if so, offers the option to
restore them.
Select Merge them into the crate to restore a previous
crate in its original order, if the same devices are
attached to the HDMIX.
Select Put them at the top of the crate to place the
tracks at the top of the crate list.
Select Put them at the end of the crate to put the tracks
at the bottom of the list.
Select Ignore to discard them. Once you have selected Ignore the crate data is lost forever (of course the
tracks are still in the library and can be sent to the crate all over again).
You may be wondering what happens if your crate contains tracks from multiple libraries. In this case
parts of the crate are stored within each library. To fully restore the crate, all of the libraries must be
reloaded by making sure that all the devices used are connected to the HDMIX. If one library is not
connected, or should you choose to ignore the crate for that library, a partial crate will be restored from the
other libraries. HDMIX will attempt to recreate the crate in the original order, even if the libraries are
loaded in no particular order. If this all sounds a little confusing then rest assured that, in brief, HDMIX will
simply try to do the most logical thing!
It is intended that the crate is a somewhat short term entity by nature. If you want to save a more
permanent running order you should consider using playlists which can easily be sent to the crate in one
operation (see “Working With Playlists”).
27
WORKING WITH CDs & EXTERNAL DEVICES
PLAYING MUSIC FROM CDs & EXTERNAL DEVICES
Storing your music digitally makes it easier to carry and access, but you can also use the HDMIX simply to play music directly
from the CD.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Insert your disc into the CD/DVD Drive. You may also
use an external drive, such as a USB CD drive or another
mass storage device, to play music through the HDMIX.
Once the disc or device is read by the HDMIX, press the
Library button.
Use the Menu Buttons to select the drive with the music
you want to play. If you inserted your disc into the
HDMIX’s CD/DVD drive, select the CD/DVD. If you are
using an external device, select the appropriate option
from the Menu Bar.
Use the Push Select knob to navigate and highlight the
track or album you want to play or cue.
Note: When playing music from a data disc or device, you
will not be able to edit any tags. When playing music from
an audio disc, you can edit its tags while it is inserted, but
all the information you entered will be lost once you eject
the disc.
See TAGGING YOUR MUSIC for more
information.
When the track you want to play or cue is highlighted, you
can use the Menu Buttons to add it either to Deck A or B
or to the Crate. If you select a whole album, you may add
it to the Crate only but not to either Deck. Tracks playing
from a single album may only be added to one deck at a
time from the Crate.
Note: Ejecting the disc after loading one or more of its tracks into the Crate will remove it from the Crate. A dialog
box will appear asking you to confirm or cancel this command. You will not be able to eject a disc if one of its tracks
is playing.
TAGGING YOUR MUSIC
In order to keep track of the music in your libraries, we recommend
tagging it with any relevant information (e.g. Album, Artist, Genre,
Year, etc.) before you copy it to the HDMIX. Follow these steps to
edit this information in the HDMIX.
1.
Using the Push Select knob, highlight the track or album
you wish to tag.
2.
Press the Next (Right) Menu Button to move to the next
page of Menu Bar options.
3.
4.
Select Edit.
Using the Push Select knob, highlight the tag you wish to
edit. You can select it by pushing the knob or by selecting
Edit. The current tag will appear in a text entry box at the
bottom of the Graphic Interface with the cursor at the end.
A highlighted box on the right shows the character that you
are about to enter, which you can change or select by using
the Push Select knob. Rotate left or right to move through
each character, or press the knob to enter that character.
The Menu Buttons can be used to delete the previous
character (“Delete”), insert a space (“Space”), switch
between lower and upper case (“Caps”), and finsh entering
text (“Done”).
If you have a USB keyboard connected to your HDMIX, you
can simply type text straight into the text entry box. Use the
left and right cursor keys to move around within the text you
have entered. The Enter and Tab keys complete the text
entry (the same as the “Done” Menu Button).
5.
28
Note: You cannot tag the files on data CDs (such
as mp3 CDs or mp3 DVDs), or data devices (such
as USB drives) as you are copying them. If you
want to edit these tags after copying them,
however, you may use other software programs.
COPYING MUSIC FROM AUDIO CDs
In addition to loading music from your computer to the HDMIX, you can copy music from your audio CDs directly to
the HDMIX.
1.
Insert your disc into the HDMIX’s CD/DVD Drive or an external drive, such as a USB CD drive.
2.
Once the disc is read by the HDMIX, press the Library button.
3.
Use the Menu Buttons to select the drive with the track(s) you want to copy. If you inserted your disc into
the HDMIX’s CD/DVD drive, select CD/DVD. If you are using an external drive, select the appropriate
option from the Menu Bar.
4.
Use the Push Select knob to choose what track(s)
to copy:
ƒ To copy one track at a time: select “Track.”
ƒ To copy the entire album: select “Album.”
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Note: An audio file will be copied as a WAV format
file as if you were ripping a track from a disc to your
computer. (Note that WAV files are significantly
larger than AAC or MP3 files.) You can edit the
tags of the track or album before copying, but once
it is copied, you will no longer be able to edit it in
the HDMIX itself. If you want to edit these tags
after copying them, you may use other software
programs. See TAGGING YOUR MUSIC for more
information.
When you have highlighted the track or album you
want to copy, press the Next (Right) Menu Button.
Select “Copy.”
Use the Push Select knob to highlight where you
want to copy the file. You may copy to the HDMIX
Hard Drive, or, if you have other storage devices
connected to the HDMIX, you can copy to any of
them. They must contain a library and be a writable
format. You cannot copy to your source drive,
which will be notated with “(this device)” next to it.
Select “Copy” again to begin copying, or select
“Cancel” to return to the previous menu. You will
see the Progress Bar while the track or album is
copying. You can view or edit the tracks in the copy
queue by pressing the Utility button, selecting
“Copying” from the Menu Bar, and scrolling through
the copy queue with the Push Select knob.
Selecting “Remove” will remove a track from the
copy queue. Selecting “Cancel” will abort the
current copying process and clear the queue of all
tracks (a dialog box will ask you to confirm or cancel
this command).
Once the copying process is complete, you can
access your tracks within the appropriate destination drive. Any copied tracks can be accessed in the Files
Browse List as well as in the available Library Browse Lists (e.g. Track, Artist, Genre, etc.).
29
COPYING MUSIC FROM OTHER DISCS, DRIVES, OR DEVICES
The HDMIX also allows you to copy files to and from other drives (such as a mass storage device or the HDMIX’s
CD/DVD Drive). For more information on the terms and menus described here, please refer to THE LIBRARY
section.
1.
Press the Library button to go to the HDMIX’s list of available drives.
2.
Use the Menu Buttons to select the drive containing the files you want to copy. If the files are on a disc in
the HDMIX’s CD/DVD drive, select CD/DVD. If you are using an external drive, select the appropriate
option from the Menu Bar.
3.
Use the Push Select knob to navigate the list.
ƒ If the disc or device contains a library, you may access Files as well as any available Browse Lists (e.g.
Track, Artist, Genre, etc.) within that library.
ƒ If the disc or device does not contain a library, you may only select Files.
4.
Use the Push Select knob to navigate and highlight which file(s) you want to copy.
ƒ If the disc or device contains a library, you can select individual files to copy (within either the library’s
Browse Lists or the Files List), or you can select all the files grouped under a single Browse List (e.g. all
the tracks by the same artist, all the tracks from the same genre, etc.).
ƒ If the disc or device does not contain a library, the files will be organized the way they were originally
transferred to the disc or device. In this case, you will only be able to copy one file at a time.
5.
When you have highlighted the file or Browse List you want to copy, press the Next (Right) Menu button.
6.
7.
Select “Copy.”
Use the Push Select knob to highlight where you want to copy the file. You can copy to the HDMIX Hard
Drive, or, if you have other storage devices connected to the HDMIX, you can copy to any of them. They
must contain a library and be a writable format. You cannot copy to your source drive, which will be
identified with “(this device)” next to it.
Select “Copy” again to begin copying, or select
“Cancel” to return to the previous menu. You will
see the Progress Bar while the file or Browse List
is copying. You can view or edit the tracks in the
copy queue by pressing the Utility button,
selecting “Copying” from the Menu Bar, and
scrolling through the copy queue with the Push
Select knob. Selecting “Remove” will remove a
track from the copy queue. Selecting “Cancel”
will abort the current copying process and clear
the queue of all tracks (a dialog box will ask you to
confirm or cancel this command).
Once the copying process is complete, you can access your file(s) within the appropriate destination drive.
Any copied files can be accessed in the Files Browse List as well as in the available Library Browse Lists
(e.g. Track, Artist, Genre, etc.).
8.
9.
30
DECK MODE SETTINGS (A AND B)
MODE buttons, located near the pitch sliders of each deck, can be pressed to pop up the settings dialog for
Deck A or B. The appropriate button lights up blue while active. The settings are split into three different
pages, accessible by pressing the corresponding button below the display: Pitch, Control, Display. Rotate
the PUSH SELECT knob to change the highlighted field. To move between the available fields, press the
PUSH SELECT knob. To exit the Mode dialog, press MODE again.
PITCH
PITCH RANGE: Select the desired pitch range for the pitch
slider. Different pitch ranges allow for different precision
over the speed of the music. Selecting a smaller pitch
range, such as ±6%, allows for more precise control over the
speed of the music. Selecting a larger pitch range, such as
+25/-100%, allows for more extreme speed adjustments and
can be used for interesting effects.
ƒ 0.0%
Disabled the pitch slider.
ƒ ±6.0%
ƒ ±12.0%
ƒ ±25.0%
ƒ -100%/+25%
KEY LOCK: Enabling Key Lock will “hold” the key of the
music playing on the corresponding deck. While Key Lock is
enabled, adjusting the pitch of the music playing on the deck
will only influence its tempo independent of its musical pitch.
ƒ On
Turns Key Lock on. You will notice the Key Lock
icon becomes illuminated in the deck display area.
ƒ Off
Turns Key Lock off. If there is still a Key Lock shift
applied to the deck when Key Lock has been
disengaged, you will notice that the Key Lock icon
will blink.
Note: Using extreme pitch settings while Key Lock is activated may result in unwanted audio artifacts.
To avoid choppy audio playback please use modest pitch modifications while Key Lock is activated.
Note: With Key Lock engaged, the HDMIX will automatically reset a newly loaded track to its natural
pitch and lock the tempo to the current Pitch slider position.
CONTROL
TRACK LOADING: Choose how you want songs loaded
and played from the Crate.
ƒ Manual
Tracks are loaded to deck manually, by you. When
songs are finished they return to the start and
pause.
ƒ Repeat
Track loaded on deck will loop once it reaches the
end.
31
ƒ Automatic
The next song (at the top of the Crate) will be loaded to deck, and cued at the start. The following
conditions must be met for HDMIX to load the next song:
The previous song has fully played out
- or The previous song is paused having played more
than 75% through
This is to prevent automatic loading while you're cueing or mixing on the deck.
ƒ Continuous
Like Automatic, but the next song will automatically start to play.
ƒ Cyclic
Like Continuous, but after each song has played it is sent back to the bottom of the Crate, creating a
never ending sequence of playback.
Tip: For continuous looping play of a collection of songs, send your collection to the crate then choose Cyclic from
the Track Loading option. This works for either or both decks at once! The songs will play continuously from the crate
until you pause the decks.
FADER START: Configure fader start function if a
compatible mixer is connected.
ƒ On / Off
Accept or ignore fader start signals.
ƒ Cue
Return the play position to the cue point and pause
after fading away from the deck. Resume playback
when starting to fade back toward the deck.
ƒ Pause
Similar to Cue, but pauses at the current position instead of the Cue point.
Tech note: HDMIX uses the widely supported 5V Pulse method of fader start signalling. For cable
setup, refer to “Connection Diagram” section of this manual. Refer to your mixer's manual to check
compatibility.
JOG MODE: Describes the operation of the deck’s jog
wheel when cueing music.
ƒ Vinyl
When you stop the jog wheel, the audio also stops.
ƒ Cue
When you stop the jog wheel, the unit loops
playback of the next 0.2 seconds of the track.
DISPLAY
Set the time code display mode.
ƒ Elapsed
Display time elapsed (count up) on the deck.
ƒ Remaining
Display time remaining (count down) on the deck.
32
VIEWS
You may use the VIEW button to access different information about the music playing on the decks. The
VIEW button will toggle between Track View and Profile View, as explained below.
TRACK VIEW
Track View displays extra information about the tracks
loaded on each deck, other than that shown on the deck
displays at the top of the screen.
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
Artist
Album
Genre
Filename
Year
BPM
Device
Name of the Artist
Title of the Album
Type of genre
Name of file
Year of release
Tempo
The device on which the track is stored
PROFILE VIEW
A track profile is a visual representation of a song, designed for
quick and easy identification of phrases within that song,
differentiated by their "energy". Distinct from a waveform, a
profile doesn't show every small detail of the track, just the big
changes in terms of energy.
The profile is split into three shades of grey, with black making up
the total number of variations to four. The white portions of the
track indicate high energy and volume, graduating down to the
black sections representing quieter phrases. The length of each
profile is scaled to exactly fit the available work area, so the
entire track is always visible.
Tip: Use Track Profiles to identify the breaks in a song, much like the changes you see on a vinyl record when viewed using a
light across the grooves. Skipping to these breaks is quick and easy using the Push Select knob.
„ Creating Track Profiles
Profiles can only be generated using the Librarian tool (see “Building With Librarian” section). For a large library
this can take a while, as the entire track must be analysed. Allow several seconds per track on a fast
computer.
„ Working with Track Profiles
The workarea is split into two sections, the upper for Deck
A, and the lower for Deck B.
•
Time Indicators
Above and below the profiles are markers which
indicate the length of each track separated by
minutes, with smaller indents for 30 seconds and 15
seconds.
•
Skipping through phrases
Use the Push Select knob to seek through the song,
having first selected the deck (see below). You will
see a flashing vertical cursor for the deck which is currently selected. With each rotation of the control,
you can skip through to the next change in the song. Its position in the profile is representative of the
playback position in the song.
•
Selecting the deck
The decks are, by default, not selected (locked) to prevent accidental seeking through a track which
might be in the mix. Choose Select A or Select B to unlock the required deck. Relock a deck by
selecting Deselect A or Deselect B.
33
UTILITY
The Utility button gives access to System information and
settings.
The main utility work area displays the unit serial number.
This information is useful if you need to contact Customer
Care or check for firmware updates at the Numark web
site.
Tip: It is strongly advised that you periodically compare
your firmware version with that available at the Numark
web site, and install any more recent version that may be
available. New software will be posted regularly to add
features and fix problems. See “HDMIX Software
Upgrades” section for details.
Further utility screens are accessed from the menu as follows.
„ Copying
The Copying page shows the files in the copy queue – that
is, the tracks that are currently or waiting to be copied to the
HDMIX. The progress bar at the bottom of the screen
shows how much of the current track has been copied. Use
the Push Select knob to scroll through the copy queue.
Selecting “Remove” will remove a track from the copy queue.
Selecting “Cancel” will abort the current copying process and
clear the queue of all tracks (a dialog box will ask you to confirm
or cancel this command).
„ Updates
The Updates page shows the current software version of
the HDMIX. Please check http://www.numark.com regularly
for available software upgrades. If the version of the
software upgrade on the website is higher than the version
of the current software on your HDMIX, please follow the
upgrade procedure outlined in the next section of this
manual.
„ Restore
This operation will reset the unit to default settings. Select
Restore to proceed, or press Utilty or another function
button to cancel. Just to be really sure, you will be asked one
more time if this is something you want to do. Select Yes or
No as appropriate.
The default settings are:
Pitch Range 12%
Track Loading - Manual
Time Display - Elapsed
Fader Start - Off
Display Brightness – Center Position
Note that the calibration (see below) will not be reset by this operation.
34
„ Display
From here the display brightness can be adjusted.
Also, a scale of shades from black to white is shown on
screen as an aid to setting the display contrast. Adjust the
contrast by rotating the Display Contrast knob located to
the left of the display until the left most segment of the scale
is black, the right most is white, and three shades can be
identified in between.
„ Calibrate
This function is used to calibrate the pitch sliders. Your
HDMIX has been pre-calibrated at the factory, but the
characteristics of the sliders may change slightly over time. If
the top, center and bottom positions no longer align with the
expected pitch range you should run this calibration routine.
Select Calibrate, then when prompted:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Move both sliders to the fully upward position (to the % symbol)
Select Next
Move both sliders to the center position
Select Next
Move both sliders to the fully downward position (to the +% symbol)
Select Next
Calibration is now complete. Press the Utility button to exit.
Note: If you mix up the calibration procedure by swapping over the minus and plus ends of the
scale, the pitch slider will have no effect! Simply re-run the calibration.
„ Licenses
This screen displays the licensing information for the
HDMIX’s parts and software.
35
HDMIX SOFTWARE UPGRADES
As we continue to improve and add functionality to HDMIX for the best user experience, software upgrades
may be released at our web site. Please check www.numark.com regularly for software upgrades and the
latest news from Numark.
UPGRADE PROCEDURE
HDMIX features a failsafe upgrade procedure. Should an upgrade fail part way through for any reason
(including loss of power) the upgrade process should be restarted from the beginning. However, for
your convenience we recommend that you take care to ensure that power is not interrupted until the
process is complete.
1.
Download the software upgrade (.UPG) file to your computer.
2.
Copy the .UPG file to the top level of a USB storage device compatible with HDMIX. You should
erase any earlier .UPG files from the device. If more than one upgrade file is present the
upgrader will use the first one it finds.
3.
With the HDMIX powered off, connect the USB device to any USB port.
4.
Remove any other connected storage devices.
5.
With the DC power jack connected, press and hold the power button until you see the message
"Looking for Firmware" on screen. This will take about four seconds, after which you can release
the power button. If the unit does not display this message switch off and try again, taking care
not to release the power button too early.
6.
After a few seconds, provided HDMIX is able to locate the connected .UPG file, the message
"Any key updates to version ..." will be displayed.
7.
The version of the firmware upgrade is indicated.
8.
Press any button (except power!).
9.
The firmware upgrade will be loaded, a process which can take up to about a minute. After
several seconds a progress indicator will be shown to give you an idea of the work remaining.
10.
Once the update procedure has completed a message will confirm successful loading. Select OK
and the unit will switch off.
11.
The upgrade procedure is now complete. Now you may power on the HDMIX as you would
normally. Be sure to read the release notes at the Numark web site so you'll know what's new!
Note: If HDMIX detects that the upgrade file is identical to the firmware already loaded, it will not
load the update.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT UPGRADING
The HDMIX upgrade procedure may only be performed with a FAT-formatted USB device.
To check if your USB device is formatted with the FAT file system;
•
Under Windows, right-click the device in your Explorer, select Properties and check the File System
category. Please make sure that it says FAT, FAT16, or FAT32.
•
Under MacOS, hold down Apple, click the device and select Get Info. Check the Format category and make
sure that it says “MS-DOS File System (FAT16)” or “MS-DOS File System (FAT32)”.
If your device is not formatted with the FAT file system, you will need to reformat it before using it for upgrading:
•
Under Windows, right-click the device in your Explorer and select Format. Under the File system tab select
FAT and click Start to format the device.
•
Under MacOS(10.4), go to Applications -> Utilities and double-click on Disk Utility. Select the device from
the browser on the left and then select the Erase tab. Under Volume Format, please select “MS-DOS File
System” and then press the Erase button below to format the device.
PLEASE NOTE: Formatting a device will erase any of the data which is currently on the device. Please make sure
you save all data you wish to keep to your hard-drive first.
36
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
If you have a keyboard connected to your HDMIX, you can access some handy shortcuts:
TEXT ENTRY
Used in the text entry 'widget'; when searching and during renaming playlists etc.
(When not editing)
•
Return = starts editing
(When editing)
•
Cursor left / right = move caret
•
Return / Enter = DONE and move focus to next field
•
Escape = DONE but leave focus on this widget
•
Home / End = beginning / end of string
•
Backspace = Delete backwards
•
Delete = Delete forwards
•
Caps-lock and number-lock are honoured
LISTS
Used when browsing the library
•
Left (or) Up = Same as rotating PUSH SELECT knob anti-clockwise
•
Right (or) Down = Same as rotating PUSH SELECT knob rotary clockwise
•
Return = Select (same as PUSH SELECT press)
•
Page up / down = Page up / down
•
Ctrl-Page up / down = Top / bottom of list
•
Escape = go back up one level
SLIDER
•
•
•
Left (or) Up = Move slider left
Right (or) Down = Move slider right
Ctrl-left / right / up / down = Move to beginning / end of slider
COMBO BOX
•
Left / Up = Previous item
•
Right / Down = Next item
GENERAL
•
Tab = move focus to next field
•
Shift-tab = move focus to previous field
MENU BUTTONS
•
CTRL + 1,2,3,4 = Buttons one through four of the function buttons
•
CTRL + Cursor Left / Right = Pages left and right for available menu pages.
GENERAL SHORTCUTS
•
Ctrl + F = Goes to search ALL for the current library, similar to pressing F1
•
Ctrl + L = Goes to Library window
•
Ctrl + C = Goes to Crate window
•
Ctrl + U = Goes to Utility window
•
Ctrl + V = Goes to View window
•
Ctrl + E = Goes to Eject window
•
Ctrl + L (press and hold) = Goes directly to the last Library position from anywhere in the user interface.
•
Escape - Cancel any popup windows
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
F1 = Open search browser for current library, set to "All" and put keyboard focus in the text entry widget
F2 = begins a "Title" search
F3 = begins an "Album" search
F4 = begins an "Artist" search
F5 = Browse by Genre
F6 = Browse by BPM (with correctly tagged tracks)
F7 = Browse by Year
F8 = Playlist menu
F9 = Files (File browse the device directly)
F10 = Library (press again to change to next library, if available)
37
USB DEVICE COMPATIBILITY
This section explores the technical aspects of connecting USB devices to HDMIX. For many users much of
the detail will be irrelevant - the player will simply do the expected thing. However, it is a good idea to
familiarise yourself with this information so you are prepared for any unexpected issue that might occur while
working.
USB CONNECTION
HDMIX is a USB Media player. It has no storage of its own, but rather external storage is connected via up to
three USB ports (one at the front, two at the rear). This allows three devices to be connected directly to the unit,
which is ample for most situations. However, USB hubs are also supported for extending the possibilities to at
least twelve devices. Hubs must be connected directly to the HDMIX; connecting a hub to a hub is not supported.
The USB specification limits the amount of power a USB port can provide. Some devices, particularly motorised
devices such as hard drives, require more power than can be taken from one port and so ship with an AC Adapter
or a second USB cable. Please be sure to use the adapter or cable to ensure reliable operation. We recommend
that hubs should be of the powered type to ensure that sufficient power is available for the devices connected to
them, especially if any of those devices are motorised.
When connecting to the USB ports, take care to get the plug the right way around. Forcing a plug the wrong way
could damage the connectors both of your device and HDMIX. For your convenience you may choose to connect
USB extension cables to the HDMIX ports, and your devices to the cables. This is fine however you should avoid
the use of excessively long (greater than 1 meter / 40 inch) extensions as these can cause unreliable operation.
SUPPORTED STORAGE DEVICES
HDMIX is compatible with most USB storage devices that support the Mass Storage Class standard. This includes
USB hard drives, flash memory keys, flash card adapters and personal music players. Devices that require device
driver installation on your PC or Mac might not be compatible. Devices must comply with the USB 1.0, 1.1 or 2.0
standards including the specification for bus powering (no device may draw more than 500mA from one port).
Although HDMIX has been tested with a wide variety of devices, it is of course impossible to test with all of the
thousands of variants that exist. If you discover a compatibility issue, please let us know, stating the type, make
and model of the device and where and when you bought it. It is likely that any problem is due to the device
deviating from the USB standard, however sometimes it is possible to accommodate even these devices in a
future firmware update.
HDMIX supports devices with multiple partitions. Each partition that contains a supported file system will show up
as a separate library. When ejecting, be sure to eject all of the partitions before removing such a device.
If your device has a Write Protect switch we recommend setting it to Off. HDMIX can work with write protected
devices but some functionality will be lost, such as creation of playlists and saving of the crate. A device must be
write enabled to create a library, however an existing library on a write protected device can be loaded.
IDENTIFYING LIBRARIES
Each library in use has a unique name which indicates how it is connected, like this:
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
¸
USB 1
USB 2
USB 1-1
USB 1-4
USB 1b
USB 1-2c
USB Port
USB Port 2
Port 1 of a USB hub
Port 4 of a USB hub
The second partition on the USB Port
The third partition on Port 2 of a USB hub
In most cases, for simple devices connected direct to the unit, you will simply see USB 1, USB 2 or USB 3.
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Each library also has a device name which is displayed within the user interface. This name is taken from the
storage device itself and will vary from device to device, manufacturer to manufacturer. Examples include:
¸
¸
¸
USB DISK
Hard Disk Drive
iPod
Some badly behaved devices, often flash memory keys, provide gibberish titles. For your convenience, you can
set your own title by creating a file named volume_name.txt in the top level directory. The file should contain your
desired title in plain text up to 20 characters.
SUPPORTED FILE SYSTEMS
Supported file systems are FAT16, FAT32, HFS+ and NTFS (the latter is supported read-only). The FAT16 and
FAT32 file systems are commonly used by pre-formatted media devices and are compatible with the vast majority
of computer systems. NTFS is commonly used by Windows computers, especially for larger drives. HFS+ is the
default format for the Apple Macintosh computer, and is also the default file system for the Apple iPod personal
music player.
In general, we recommend formatting devices with FAT32 whenever possible, as this is the most widely supported
format. Windows XP does not support formatting hard drives larger than 32GB with FAT32. However, there are
free programs available that do support this.
Note for NTFS:
The NTFS file system is supported Read-Only on HDMIX. This limits the functionality slightly, and
requires that you use the Librarian tool to build a library (see below). When possible we recommend
formatting FAT32 instead.
If none of this means very much to you, don't panic! Most USB storage devices come ready formatted in a format
likely to be compatible with HDMIX.
AVOIDING AND FIXING ERRORS
The most important advice to remember is ALWAYS EJECT THE LIBRARY before removing it or switching off
(see “Ejecting a Library” section for details). Failure to do so can and will lead to file system corruption which could
be extremely inconvenient while working. This advice applies equally when disconnecting media from your PC both Windows and MacOS provide methods to safely remove devices.
This is particularly important for HFS+ media which must be connected to a Macintosh computer after unsafe
removal before it can be used again with HDMIX.
If you think your media may have become corrupted you should connect it to your PC or Macintosh computer for
maintenance. Under Windows, bring up the device properties and select "Check Now" on the Tools tab. Under
MacOS, run the Disk Utility application.
DEFRAGMENTATION
During normal use a storage device can become fragmented. Fragmentation is a condition whereby files become
split up into many parts. This is invisible to the user but degrades performance, potentially slowing down library
access and causing glitches during playback. From time to time you should defragment your media to ensure
reliable operation. Under Windows, run the Disk Defragmenter program. MacOS does not include a
defragmentation program as HFS+ does not suffer from this problem. However, both commercial and free
programs are available to perform this task for non HFS+ media.
KEEPING YOUR DATA SAFE
Just as it is important to backup your PC hard drive, it is equally critical to always backup your data for HDMIX. No
media is infallible - every flash key, hard drive or flash card has a finite life and it is your responsibility to ensure
your data is safe and secure. Never ever gig with the sole copy of your content, always work with a backup and
preferably carry another backup with you in case a device fails (or is lost or stolen) while you work.
While you take the time to make your backups, consider how lucky you are to be able to carry two complete
copies of all your tracks in your pocket or a small bag. Take simple precautions and embrace the digital age!
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EXPLANATION OF DIGITAL AUDIO
This section aims to explain a few techie details of digital audio technology. We feel it is important for a DJ to
have an understanding of how this technology can be applied, particularly if it is to be used professionally.
With the right knowledge you will be able to make informed choices and ensure that your performances meet
the highest standard.
COMPRESSION
High quality audio files take up a lot of space, limiting the amount of music that can be stored on media such as a
USB flash drive. To fit more music the files must be compressed, but traditional techniques work poorly with audio,
barely saving any space at all. To solve this problem a new generation of technology has emerged, and it has
taken the music industry by storm!
Modern compressed audio formats such as MP3 and AAC use a technique known as psycho-acoustic
compression to reduce the size of an audio file. Not all data in an audio track is significant to the human ear, so it's
possible to discard certain parts of the wave or combine other parts without significantly changing our perception
of the sound. Furthermore, some parts of a wave mask other parts so those too can be discarded. What's left can
then be represented in a very efficient format, resulting in a file many times smaller than the original while barely
alterating our perception of the audio. Because some of the original information has been lost these formats are
sometimes known as "lossy". By choosing how aggressively to apply the compression we can trade off between
the size of the file and the quality of the audio.
TAGGING
Apart from audio data most formats also contain information about the track, known as tags. Such tags as track
title, artist name, album title, BPM (Beats Per Minute) and Genre are often included. The best audio applications
offer a feature to automatically fill in these tags when converting your CDs, and some can even identify tracks
which have been recorded from vinyl or other sources. Otherwise, you can type in and edit tags manually.
We strongly recommend that you take the time to ensure your music collection is well tagged. While this could
involve significant effort for a large poorly tagged collection, it will pay back many times over when you perform.
HDMIX makes extensive use of tags to organise your music collection and provides powerful methods to find
tracks quickly and effectively.
FORMATS
HDMIX supports three of the most popular audio formats - two compressed (lossy) and one non-compressed
(lossless).
„ MP3
This is the format that started the revolution. Invented in the early 90s for the broadcast industry, it
exploded into the music industry several years later with the invention of the portable MP3 player. Now it
has become almost a generic term for digital music, although MP3 is just one of many compressed music
formats in use today.
MP3 in particular can draw criticism over sound quality. In its early years storage was expensive so
tracks were often compressed heavily, degrading sound quality. Now, with large flash memory keys and
hard disks more affordable than ever, there's no reason to over compress, especially for professional
use. It has been demonstrated that with a bitrate of 256K bits per second (bps) the vast majority of
listeners cannot distinguish from an uncompressed original. This gives a file size approximately 20% of
an uncompressed recording.
A popular option offered by many encoders is Variable Bit Rate (VBR). The bitrate will change throughout
the track so that simple parts take less space while more complex parts take more to ensure high quality.
Most encoding programs allow you to select an "average bitrate" for VBR - choosing 192K, for example,
will lead to a file about the same size as a Constant Bit Rate (CBR) 192K file, but the quality will be better
overall.
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Some encoders offer a choice of sample rates from 8KHz to 48KHz, however HDMIX always resamples
to 44.1KHz so there's nothing to be gained from encoding at a higher rate than that.
HDMIX can extract tags from MP3 files using the popular ID3 format. We recommend using ID3v2, as
this offers greater flexibility in the length of tags and types of information that can be stored (BPM for
example).
Many packages support encoding to MP3, some commercial and some free. Some suppliers charge an
additional fee for MP3 encoding above 64Kbps (which is far too low a bitrate for professional use).
„ AAC
This format, invented in the late 90s, also started out in the broadcast industry. Its breakthrough in the
music industry came with its adoption as the default format for Apple iTunes and the iPod portable music
player. Sometimes this format is known as MP4 or MPEG-4 although more correctly it is Part 3 of the
MPEG-4 standard. The most common file extension is .M4A.
AAC has improved performance over the older MP3 format leading to superior sound reproduction for the
size of file. The greatest improvement is with low bitrate files, but this is less relevent to the professional
user and at higher bitrates the formats are considered about equal in sound quality.
HDMIX can extract tags from AAC files using the M4A format, supported by many popular audio
applications.
If you use iTunes to encode your music collection the chances are it is in AAC format (using the M4A file
extension). However if you purchased music from the online iTunes Music Store you should be aware
that this protected content cannot be played by HDMIX, or by any other digital music player other than
the Apple iPod at this time. This limitation is imposed by Apple.
„ WAV
WAV (or Wave) format has been in use for many years and is a simple (usually uncompressed) audio
format. Although the file extension is the same, WAV files can contain various formats of digital audio HDMIX can play the popular 16-bit PCM format. At 44.1KHz sample rate this is a faithful reproduction of
CD audio. The format is useful if you want to be sure of the best possible sound quality, but as a result
the files are large (typically five to ten times larger than an MP3 file).
There is no standard for tagging within WAV files and at this time HDMIX will use only the filename to
identify a track (this is represented as the track title).
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Output Level
+10dBv @ 0dBFS
Input Sensitivity
-14dBv / -40dBv / -40dBv
SNR (A-weighted)
Line: > 92dB | Phono: > 80dB | Mic: > 77dB
THD+N
Less than 0.05% (22Hz – 22kHz)
Frequency Response
22Hz – 22kHz (+/- 0.5dB, Line & Phono RIAA + anti-Rumble)
Digital Audio Path
24-bit 44.1kHz
Pitch Ranges
+/- 6%, +/- 12%, +-25%, +25%/-100%
Weight
17.2lbs (7.8kg)
Dimensions
470mm (W) x 133mm (H) x 300mm (D)
LICENSING INFORMATION
HDMIX firmware
© Numark Industries, Inc. 2007. All Rights Reserved.
HDMIX is built on a Linux platform to ensure high reliability and performance. Linux and related portions of this
software are provided under the GNU Public Licence (GPL) and the Lesser GNU Public License (LGPL). Numark
has made available for download the source code for those portions of the software at:
http://www.numark.com/
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The following software is included subject to the GNU Public License (GPL):
Linux
Busy Box
Red Boot
CDfs
© Linus Torvalds
© Erik Andersen
© Red Hat
© Michiel Ronsse
The following software is included subject to the Lesser GNU Public License (LGPL):
GNU C Library © Free Software Foundation
id3lib
© Scott Thomas Haug
The following software is included subject to the Mozilla Public License (MPL):
mp4v2
© MP4IP Project
Certain software is included subject to the RealNetworks Community Source License (RCSL):
Helix DNA Client technology included.
© RealNetworks, Inc., 1995-2007.
All rights reserved.
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www.numark.com
MANUAL VERSION 1.1
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