USB Microphone Aphex Analog Processing Owner’s Manual

: June 17, 2024
: APHEX

Table of Contents

USB Microphone Aphex Analog Processing
Product Usage Instructions
Safety Declarations
Introduction
Front Controls
Rear Controls
Installation
**Specifications
LIMITED WARRANTY
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

USB Microphone Aphex Analog Processing

USB Mic with Aphex Analog Processing

Specifications

USB condenser microphone
Front controls: Input Level Knob, Headphone Volume Knob, Headphone Output Jack
Rear controls: Optical Compressor On/Off, Exciter/Big Bottom On/Off, Exciter Amount Knob, Big Bottom Amount Knob
System Requirements: Windows XP SP3 (32-bit), Windows Vista SP2 (32-bit/64-bit), Windows 7 SP1 (32-bit/64-bit)

Product Usage Instructions

Front Controls
The front controls of the Microphone XTM are as follows:

Input Level Knob: Turn this knob clockwise to boost the input level as needed.
Headphone Volume Knob: Turn this knob clockwise to boost the volume of your headphones as needed.
Headphone Output Jack: This is a 1/8 (3.5mm) headphone output jack. If your headphones only have a 1/4 connector, you will need an adaptor.

Rear Controls
The rear controls of the Microphone XTM are as follows:

Optical Compressor On/Off: Engaging the optical compressor will limit the dynamic range of the input signal, providing a more consistent output level to your DAW.
Exciter/Big Bottom On/Off: This switch allows you to quickly A/B the sound of the mic with or without Exciter/Big Bottom processing.
Exciter Amount Control: Turning this knob clockwise will increase the amount of Exciter processing on the input signal. You will hear an increase in clarity and presence.
Big Bottom Amount Control: Turning this knob clockwise will increase the amount of Big Bottom processing on the input signal. You will hear an increase in bass and depth.

Installation
To install the Microphone XTM, follow these steps:

System Requirements: Make sure your Windows computer meets the following system requirements: Windows XP SP3(32-bit), Windows Vista SP2 (32-bit/64-bit), Windows 7 SP1(32-bit/64-bit).
Drivers and Firmware: Download the latest drivers from the Aphex website. Install the drivers before connecting the Microphone XTM to your computer. If you don’t have internet access, the drivers are also available on the CD-ROM included in the box.
Mac OS: For Mac OS, no special drivers are required. Simply connect the Microphone XTM to your Mac using a high-quality USB cable, and it will be recognized automatically.

FAQ

Q: Can I remove the cover of the Microphone XTM?
A: No, removing the cover may cause electric shock. There are no user- serviceable parts inside.
Q: What cables should I use with the Microphone XTM?
A: It is suggested to use only shielded and grounded cables to ensure compliance with FCC rules.
Q: What is the purpose of the optical compressor?
A: Engaging the optical compressor will limit the dynamic range of the input signal, providing a more consistent output level to your DAW.
Q: How do I adjust the Exciter and Big Bottom processing?
A: Use the Exciter Amount Control to increase the amount of Exciter processing on the input signal for increased clarity and presence. Use the Big Bottom Amount Control to increase the amount of Big Bottom processing on the input signal for increased bass and depth.

Safety Declarations

CAUTION : For protection against electric shock, do not remove the cover. No user-serviceable parts inside.
WARNING : This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device under Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used following the operating guide, may cause interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

The user is cautioned that changes and modifications made to the equipment without the approval of the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
It is suggested that the user use only shielded and grounded cables to ensure compliance with FCC Rules.

Introduction

Microphone X is a USB condenser microphone featuring:

Mac OSX and Windows compatibility
24-bit/96kHz A/D and D/A converters
Aural Exciter® analog processing
Big Bottom® analog processing
Analog optical compressor
High-output headphone amp
On/off switches for compressor and enhancement
Separate Aural Exciter and Big Bottom level controls

Front Controls

INPUT LEVEL CONTROL
Turn this knob clockwise to boost the input level as needed.

HEADPHONE VOLUME CONTROL
Turn this knob clockwise to boost the volume of your headphones as needed.

HEADPHONE OUTPUT JACK
This is a 1/8” (3.5mm) headphone output jack. If your headphones only have a 1/4” connector you will need an adaptor.

Rear Controls

OPTICAL COMPRESSOR ON/OFF Engaging the optical compressor will limit the dynamic range of the input signal providing a more consistent output level to your DAW. This will allow you to record hotter input levels without the fear of peak-ing the DAW’s input.

EXCITER/BIG BOTTOM ON/OFF
This switch allows you to quickly A/B the sound of the mic with or without Exciter/Big Bottom processing.

EXCITER AMOUNT CONTROL
Turning this knob clockwise will increase the amount of Exciter processing on the input signal. You will hear an increase in clarity and presence.

BIG BOTTOM AMOUNT CONTROL
Turning this knob clockwise will increase the amount of Big Bottom processing on the input signal. You will hear an increase in bass and depth.

Installation

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
(please go to www.aphex.com for the latest information)

Apple Macintosh with Intel CPU and an available USB port
OS: Mac OS X 10.5 – 10.8 and beyond.
Windows-compatible computer with an available USB port
OS: Windows XP SP3 (32-bit), Windows Vista SP2 (32-bit/64-bit), Windows 7 SP1 (32-bit/64-bit).

DRIVERS AND FIRMWARE

All drivers required by the Microphone X is available for download from the Aphex website. Be sure that you download and install the most up-to-date drivers before you connect the Microphone X to your computer.
If you don’t have Internet access, drivers are on the CD-ROM included in the box.

MAC OS ONLY:

Microphone X does not require special drivers on OSX. Just connect Microphone X to the Mac with a high-quality USB cable and it will be recognized automatically.
Your OS should automatically switch the computer’s default audio outputs to be the USB port to which the Microphone X is connected. To verify this, go to System Preferences > Sound, and ensure that the input and output are set to Microphone X. For more detailed setup options on a Mac, open Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup.

WINDOWS ONLY:

Before connecting Microphone X to your computer, install the driver from the included CD or from the driver installer you can download from www.aphex.com. If Windows presents any dialogs during the installation process, click OK, Accept, or Allow. Connect Microphone X after the driver installation process has been completed.
Your OS should automatically switch the computer’s default audio outputs to be the USB port to which Microphone X is connected.
To verify this, go to Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound > Manage Audio Devices and ensure that “Default Playback” and “Recording” are set to Microphone X.
Some DAWs will not launch the Microphone X control panel. Access it from the Windows system tray in the lower right of your screen.

USB CONNECTION

The Microphone X has a single USB port on the bottom. Once the software installation is complete, simply connect the Microphone X to your computer using the USB cable provided. You MUST connect the Microphone X directly to your computer and NOT to a USB hub.

AUDIO SETUP IN YOUR DAW

Microphone X is compatible with any Windows-based DAW that supports ASIO and any Mac-based DAW that uses Core Audio. After installing the drivers and connecting the hardware, you can start using the Microphone X with the DAW of your choice.
You must manually select “Microphone X” (on Mac-based systems) or “Aphex ASIO” (on PC-based systems) as the driver on your DAW’s Audio Setup page. Please refer to your DAW’s documentation for information on where to select the ASIO or Core Audio driver.
Once the Microphone X is set as the preferred Audio Device in your DAW, the following inputs and outputs will be available: INPUT = Front Left, OUTPUTS = Front Left and Front Right. You will need to enable the inputs and outputs before use.

NOTES to Pro Tools 9, 10, and 11 users:

When switching to Microphone X from another interface, you must have that interface connected when launching Pro Tools for the first time with Microphone X connected. Once Pro Tools has recognized Microphone X, the other interface may be left connected or disconnected. Pro Tools will not launch properly if the interface it is expecting is not connected.
Pro Tools 9 and 10 require the DAW to be exited and relaunched when changing the hardware buffer size. Pro Tools 11 does not unless Ignore Errors During Playback/Record is checked in the Playback Engine window.
Pro Tools will take control of the Microphone X driver. Leave the Lock Sample Rate checkbox in the driver control panel unchecked. Aphex recommends following this same method with other DAWs: Leave the Lock Sample Rate checkbox unchecked and allow the DAW to control the driver.

If you experience difficulty trying to set up your I/O with the Micro-phone X, try this trick:

Open Pro Tools.
When the Pro Tools launch screen becomes visible, hold down the “N” key on your keyboard. This allows you back-door access to the playback engine.
Select the Microphone X as your device and continue.
Once Pro Tools finishes launching go to the Setup menu and select I/O.
Select the Input tab, delete all input paths, and then select New Path.
Create 1 Mono Input and click Create. This path will be named “Input.” You can double-click it and name it “Mic X.”
Now click the box just right of “Mono,” under the ApMX icon. An “M” will appear. Click OK.
Now click the Output tab, delete all of the output paths and select Default.
Open a new session and select “Stereo Mix” in the I/O Settings drop-down menu.

Once this is done the Microphone X should work with your Pro Tools system.

MICROPHONE X AND IPAD

The Aphex Microphone X has been tested and found to work with iPad-2 and iPad-4 running iOS version 6.1.3 and using the Apple
Camera Connection kit and the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter.

Microphone X was tested with the following apps:

No other iPads, iOS versions or apps were tested prior to the publication of this owner’s manual. Please check www.aphex.com for up-to-date testing results with new iPads, new versions of iOS, and other apps.
Microphone X is powered via USB. A fully charged iPad can power Microphone X for approximately five hours before the iPad’s internal battery is completely drained.

NOTE : Apple does not officially endorse the use of the Camera Connection kit and the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter for anything other than camera connections. Further information can be found at: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4106

**Specifications

**

AUDIO PERFORMANCE

Audio Resolution: Up to 96kHz, 24-bit
Headphone Output: 125mW into 16Ω
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Sensitivity: 4.5mV/Pa (1kHz)
Maximum SPL: 120dB

All specifications are subject to change without notice.

Patent Notice
This product is protected under one or more of the following Aphex patents: 5,424,488 and 5,359,665.

LIMITED WARRANTY

PERIOD
One year from the date of original purchase.
SCOPE
All defects in materials and workmanship. The following are not covered:

Voltage conversions.
Units on which the serial number has been defaced, modified or removed.
Damage or deterioration resulting from Installation and/or removal of the unit; Accident, misuse, neglect, unauthorized product modification;
Failure to follow instructions in the Owner’s Manual, User Guide, or other official Aphex documentation.
Repair or attempted repair by anyone not authorized by Aphex; Shipping damage claims must be presented to the shipper.

WHO IS PROTECTED
This warranty will be enforceable by the original purchaser and by any subsequent owner during the warranty period, so long as a copy of the original Bill of Sale is submitted whenever warranty service is required.

WHAT APHEX WILL PAY FOR
All labor and material expenses for covered items. Aphex will pay all return shipping charges if the repairs are covered by the warranty.

LIMITATION OF WARRANTY
No warranty is made, either expressed or implied, as to the merchantability and fitness for any particular purpose. Any warranties are limited to the duration of the warrant stated above.

EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES
Aphex’s liability for any defective unit is limited to the repair or replacement of said unit, out of our option, and shall not include damages of any kind, whether accidental, consequential, or otherwise. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts and/or do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations and exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific rights which vary from state to state.

SERVICE INFORMATION
If it becomes necessary to return this unit for repair, you must first contact Aphex LLC for a Return Authorization (RMA number), which will need to be included with your shipment for proper identification. If available, repack this unit in its original carton and packing material. Otherwise, pack the equipment in a strong carton containing at least 2 inches of padding on all sides. Be sure the unit cannot shift around inside the carton. Include a letter explaining the symptoms and/or defect(s). Be sure to reference the RMA number in your letter and mark the RMA number on the outside of the carton. If you believe the problem should be covered under the terms of the warranty, you must also include proof of purchase. Insure your shipment and send it to:
Aphex
3500 N. San Fernando Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505 USA

MICROPHONE X OWNER’S MANUAL
Copyright ©2013 by Aphex LLC. All rights reserved.
Aphex LLC, 3500 N. San Fernando Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505 USA
PH: 818-767-2929 FAX: 818-767-2641
www.aphex.com