EMAGIC UNITOR8 MKII

Apr 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By Alex Artaud

Last year Emagic introduced the Unitor8 MkII, its flagship USB MIDI interface for the Mac OS and Windows 95, 98, and ME. This 8-In/8-Out, 128-channel, single-space rack-mount device offers solid synchronization features that let you connect to and address professional video decks. It also includes a MIDI timing innovation for Logic Audio that users will be delighted to have.

Though some sequencer users have experienced problems with USB MIDI interfaces, Unitor8 operation is hassle-free, even under the most punishing circumstances.

HAVEN'T WE MET?

The Unitor8's spare appearance bears a striking resemblance to the Opcode Studio 4 (see Fig. 1a). In the Mac OS, Emagic's interface emulates Mark of the Unicorn's MIDI Timepiece AV. As a result, the Unitor8 offers the best of both worlds, merging Opcode's clean design with MOTU's widespread support for FreeMIDI- and Open Music System (OMS) — compatible software. In Windows, it works with MME-compatible software. A wall wart supplies power to the Unitor8.

The front panel has red LEDs for MIDI input and green LEDs for MIDI output. There are also LEDs for SMPTE synchronization status and LEDs to indicate activity on the USB, RS-232, and RS-422 ports. The LEDs are bright enough to be seen easily from across a room, and their brightness is adjustable.

MIDI In and Out ports and a Click In jack are on the front panel's left side. A Panic/Patch button sends an All Notes Off command for stuck notes. Because the power switch is the only front-panel control, a computer must program and store MIDI or sync features.

On the back panel, there are ports for VITC SMPTE, LTC SMPTE, USB, RS-232, and RS-422, in addition to seven MIDI inputs and outputs (see Fig. 1b). The serial port connections let you stack up to eight Unitor8s for a total of 64 MIDI ports and 1,024 MIDI channels when you run Logic Audio in Windows 98 or ME. Stacking is not an option for Windows 95 users, who are limited to 11 MIDI ports. (That limitation is apparently caused by a bug in Windows 95 that's also present in Windows 2000.) USB drivers are still being developed for Windows NT and Windows 2000, and a beta version of a Com port driver for NT is available on Emagic's Web site.

CONTROL ISSUES

Unitor8 Control is a specialized version of Emagic's SoundDiver that has been customized for configuring the Unitor8. Investigating its features provides a sense of what the Unitor8 can do.

The Unitor8 Control's main window is the Device window (see Fig. 2). In this window, you can manage 32 MIDI port configurations, or patches, that the Unitor8 stores. Double-clicking on a patch name displays a graphic-editing window with an 8-In by 8-Out MIDI matrix. Within the matrix, you can make or break connections between inputs and outputs.

When you've finished setting up a configuration, you can name and save the patch. You can then call up patches with Program Change commands. Edits made in Unitor8 Control automatically transfer to the Unitor8 and store in memory. To maintain data consistency between the software and the interface, the Unitor8 transfers its settings to Unitor8 Control, and Unitor8 Control settings are sent to the Unitor8.

The Device window's left side has a table that displays as many as eight Unitor8s and their associated firmware versions. Unitor8 Control addresses multiple Unitor8s as a single unit. The Patch window's right side has selections for Patch Mode Setup, Computer Mode Setup, Click Input Setup, and Global Setup. Patch mode may appear more limited than Computer mode, but it lets you disconnect the Unitor8 from your computer and use it as a standalone unit.

If you stack two Unitor8s, the matrix updates to 8-In by 16-Out. As you add more Unitor8s to your setup, MIDI data coming into one input is fed to multiple outputs (for example, 8 by 24, 8 by 32, and so forth). You might expect that you increase the number of inputs as you stack interfaces, but in fact, there's a limit of eight addressable MIDI inputs; all of the corresponding inputs of each Unitor8 will merge. So if you stack eight Unitor8s, data going to MIDI In 1 on Unit A will correspond to MIDI In 1 on Units B through H. Emagic assumes that nobody uses more than eight MIDI controllers simultaneously, which isn't necessarily true.

IT'S A SETUP

Patch Mode Setup and Computer Mode Setup offer various customization options for the Unitor8's synchronization activities. In both Mode Setup windows, you can select whether the Unitor8 generates and receives LTC SMPTE, LTC EBU, or VITC SMPTE time code. Unlike Patch mode, Computer mode can stripe SMPTE, letting you record time code onto a tape so it can sync to your sequencer. Post-production pros should appreciate the Unitor8's ability to burn time code into video pictures.

A choice of frame rates (24, 25, 29.97, 29.97 drop, 30, and 30 drop) provides the ability to sync with a variety of formats. The Refresh option assists in handling poor-quality time code. In the Mode Setup Windows you can also enable Video Thru, read lines to properly sync to VITC (in which the Unitor8 scans the video signal and adjusts to the right line), and adjust the freewheel time, which is the time the Unitor8 takes to sync to an internal reference.

You can manually switch the video format from NTSC to PAL, but an Auto setting lets the Unitor8 automatically recognize the current format. Pro Tools users can adjust the Full Frame Message to select the number of frames they want to transmit. Other options include enabling MIDI Time Code out and selecting the MIDI transmission channel or channels. You can also adjust LTC output gain with an onscreen fader.

Patch Mode and Computer Mode have input and output filters for certain MIDI commands, including MTC, SysEx, Active Sensing, Tune Request, System Real Time, System Reset, and Song Select. Most pro-level sequencers offer the same filtering options, but having additional data filters doesn't hurt.

The Unitor8's Click Input is a simple feature that offers lots of functionality. In the Click Input Mode window, you can configure the input to accept a repetitive audio signal, such as a click or a kick drum, or a trigger from a footswitch. If your footswitch terminates with a TRS plug, you can reconfigure the tip and the ring independently to connect a double footswitch for a greater range of functions. Applications include synching Logic to taped material through the sequencer's Tempo Interpreter and using a footswitch to start and stop your sequencer. For live performance, you can also configure a footswitch to skip through program settings or to serve as a panic button.

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE

My first test of the Unitor8 MkII was to brutalize it with enormous amounts of MIDI data. I connected it to the USB port of a single-processor Power Mac G4/450 MHz. The Mac was running Logic Audio Platinum 4.5.1 under its proprietary driver and controlling an Akai S6000 sampler, an array of tone generators, and some analog synths connected to an Encore Expressionist MIDI-to-CV converter.

Recording and playback were seamless, even with lots of wild Pitch Bend and Aftertouch information. Without hesitation, the Unitor8 handled all the real-time control data I threw at it. Next, I quit Logic, stacked an Emagic AMT8 (see the sidebar “All in the Family”) with the Unitor8 by connecting their RS-422 ports, and launched Logic again. I spent an hour pummeling both interfaces, which performed without even a whimper.

Running Logic Audio without OMS provides a higher degree of timing accuracy. Using Logic Audio's built-in driver bestows the advantages of Active MIDI Transmission (AMT), which is implemented in the Unitor8's design. AMT actually puts part of the MIDI timing engine into the interface. MIDI commands are received in “packets” during the pauses between note events and held in a buffer in the Unitor8. The commands are then unpacked and released to the individual outputs at the precise moment they are required. Emagic claims this feature dramatically reduces potential delay problems. No other sequencer or music software company supports AMT.

All synchronization features worked perfectly for me. Striping SMPTE was a breeze; I locked machines with no hassle whatsoever. With an Alesis BRC's aid, I tried synching ADATs using the Unitor8's LTC SMPTE output. That task required some minimal adjusting within Logic and Unitor8 Control, but once it was set up, it worked well. Slaving Logic Audio to the BRC was also a simple operation.

IT TAKES A LICKING

There's a lot to like about the Unitor8 MkII. Its flexible routing is a welcome complement to its abundance of I/O options, though I wish it had ADAT sync and a word-clock port. With a direct connection to an ADAT, there would be no need to use a BRC or a JLCooper DataSync. Unfortunately, the back panel has no room for additional ports. On the plus side, you can update the Unitor8's firmware through MIDI, so future improvements are possible.

Combined with Unitor8 Control's excellent layout and Logic Audio's wealth of features, using Unitor8 MkII is a breeze. It works smoothly under OMS and performs beautifully under duress. The price may seem steep, but when you need a powerful interface that gets the job done, the Unitor8 MkII won't let you down.

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Alex Artaud operates a recording studio in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has worked with music technology for more than 15 years.

Minimum System Requirements

Unitor8 MkII
MAC: Macintosh 68000; 12 MB RAM;
Mac OS 7.0; free modem or printer port,
or USB port
PC: 486 DX2/66; 12 MB RAM; Windows 95/98/ME; free COM port (1-4)
or USB port

ALL IN THE FAMILY

If you don't need sync capabilities, the Emagic AMT8 ($499) offers most of the Unitor8's features and performs just as well. The AMT8 is a relative bargain for musicians who need a good patching system for multiple MIDI devices.

The AMT8's front panel is virtually identical to the Unitor8's, and the chassis is the same. The Click Input and LED readouts for VITC and LTC are absent, and you can't update the AMT8's firmware with MIDI. The AMT8 retains AMT's benefits and the ability to stack multiple units and to address and configure them with Unitor8 Control software.

I hope Emagic will consider adding a Click Input to the AMT8. Although the AMT8 is superb for live applications, you can't receive timing data from external audio sources or trigger sequences with a footswitch.

Beyond those minor concerns, the AMT8 is a good value. I subjected the AMT8 to the same abuse as the Unitor8, and it never flinched. If you already own a Unitor8, buying an AMT8 is a less expensive route to adding MIDI channels.

If you have rudimentary MIDI requirements and you are also on a tight budget, look into the Emagic MT4 ($199). Roughly the size of a thick chalkboard eraser, the MT4 is the smallest of Emagic's MIDI interfaces. The unit shares several traits with its larger relatives.

The 2-In/4-Out unit provides 64 MIDI channels and receives its power from the USB port. Six LEDs on the front panel correspond to the six MIDI ports, and two additional LEDs indicate the Patch Mode and USB power status.

Like the Unitor8 and AMT8, Unitor8 Control lets you configure and store up to 32 patches. You can play any MIDI instrument in your studio without running sequencer software. Because it relies on USB for power, the MT4 offers standalone operation as long as it's connected to a powered USB hub. If you use a laptop in live performance, you'll appreciate the MT4's portability.

While I was waiting for the delivery of the other two interfaces, I spent some time with the MT4. Its ease of integration with Logic Audio was a good sign; all I had to do was connect the MT4 and get to work. I had no problems using the MT4 with Logic Audio running under its proprietary driver or OMS. Even when I put the MT4 through the same rigorous testing as the Unitor8, the timing was excellent.

Unitor8 MkII Specifications