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Ymh 01x / i88x

AUDIOXTREAMER 48 Lite "AXL48"

MIDIFy/ADATIFY

Due to the obsolescence of firewire ports and the lack of updated drivers, it became impossible to continue operating the 01x and i88x with modern PCs and modern OSes. In order to make these units work again, the MIDIfy/ADATify dongle repurposes existing connectors to regain some of the original functionality available only when being part of a mLan system. The AudioXtreamer on the other hand, is a full replacement for the MLN2 board, providing 2x ADAT IO (16ch) and MIDI functionality.

When removing the original MLN2 board from your 01x or i88x and inserting this dongle, you will lose all firewire and mLan functionality. The modification is completely non destructive and reversible. You can return the unit to its previous state by reinstalling your MLN2.

MIDIFY your 01x

The REMOTE, MIDI A, MIDI B, STUDIO MANAGER, PGM_CHG functionality of the 01x is accessible by means of virtual midi port 1 to 5 respectively, ports accessible only through the mLan network via firewire. In order to use the unit as a remote and to access all its memory and configuration parameters without making any use of firewire/mLan, the MIDIfy dongle repurposes the MIDI A and B to the function of REMOTE and STUDIO MANAGER respectively. This means that any system with standard 5pin MIDI DIN connectors or USB to MIDI adapter running a DAW and/or Studio Manager can interface to a 01x.

Installation

Disclaimer: In order to repurpose the rear panel A/B connectors it is necessary to remove the mLan card completely from the mixer, which means the audio interface features and connectivity through firewire to other mLan devices like the i88x audio interface, motif, PC etc will stop working completely! All stand-alone audio functionality remains unaffected.

Refer to the service manual of your 01x for the disassembly instructions and once the MLN2 board has been removed proceed to install the dongle where the MLN2 board was attached to the DM mainboard. With the dongle attached, the back panel MIDI connectors will expose the Remote port and the Studio Manager port A/B respectively and any PC using a USB or similar MIDI interface will be able to communicate with the mixer the way it did with mLAN. Remember that any old mLan MIDI port configuration in the PC/DAW needs to be redirected to your audio interface or USB external MIDI ports.

ADATIFY your i88x

The ADAT ports on the i88x cannot be programmed to be internally linked to its own analog channels in order to use the unit as a standalone audio interface. The only way to create a standalone setup was to link two i88x together with a firewire cable and configure the mLan network for the analog I/O of one unit to be linked to the ADAT ports of the other and vice-versa. Unfortunately, to achieve this we still need a working mLan installation on a computer in order to configure the channel mapping in the Graphic Patchbay, even if it is only to setup the network once.

Another common problem with the MLN2 board inside of the i88x is the fragility of the firewire phy IC , rendering the unit useless once this IC fails.

The ADATify dongle uses a test mode described in the service manual in a slightly different way by creating an internal loopback from the analog I/O to the ADAT I/O, making it possible to use the i88x as an ADAT only audio interface. In this mode, the 8 analog input channels are mapped to the ADAT out connection and the 8 analog outputs can be used by connecting an ADAT source to the ADAT IN port. This not only allows you to connect the i88x to any ADAT capable interface or mixer from any brand, but also gives new life to a unit with broken firewire ports.

Installation

Follow the instructions in the i88x Service Manual in order to open the unit and remove the MLN2 board completely and store the card with screws in an antistatic bag for future use. Plug the ADATify dongle at the connector where the MLN2 board was attached and assure it is firmly seated. No further configuration is necessary.

Word Clock

The i88x can act as a WCLK master when nothing is attached to its ADAT IN, but as stated in the owners manual, it is only capable of operating at 44.1kHz or 88.2kHz in double mode (SMUX2). If you want the unit to operate as a WCLK slave in order to synchronize to another master or to operate at 48/96Khz, a valid ADAT signal needs to be offered at the ADAT IN port. Although the i88x automatically locks to this external clock, you still have to manually select ADAT double mode for 88.2/96kHz operation.

Known Limitations

The ADATify dongle implements a test mode described in the service manual in a slightly different way but, as stated on the manual, a 6dB difference will be noticed in the levels obtained with this simple method. Analog inputs to the ADAT port will be 6dB lower but most important ADAT to analog outputs will be 6dB louder, which could lead to distortion and clipping when pushed to the limit. In order to avoid damage to your speakers, limit the output to 6dB below the maximum.

AUDIOXTREAMER 48 Lite "AXL48"

A full ADAT board has been also implemented in order to fully operate the 01x without the MLN2 board. The AudioXtreamer 48 Lite completely replaces the MLN2 firewire mLan system, making it possible to not only use the 01x again with its full original potential but also to interface to any other ADAT capable interface or mixer/recorder while at the same time integrating the MIDIFY functionality. Release date TBA.

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