In this video we’re going to go through
the different features of the iD mixer that controls iD14.
If you want information on a particular section of the iD Mixer,
go to the video description for the timestamps of the different sections.
Simply put, the iD mixer is the control centre for your iD interface, enabling you
to customise monitoring, functionality and settings to make iD14 suit your workflow.
The iD mixer is made up of a few different sections.
The channel section displays your analogue and digital inputs, as well as your DAW returns,
or in other words, the audio coming back from your Digital Audio Workstation or computer.
The Master section contains the Cue Mixes and the monitor controls.
Then finally you have the System Panel which
enables you to control your routing and other settings.
We will look at the routing options available in more detail later in this video.
On a mac, double click on the iD App in your application menu,
this will create a menu bar item in the top right of the screen.
The mixer window should then open, so long as your unit is connected.
If you close the mixer window, you can reopen it
at any time by clicking on the iD icon selecting show mixer.
On Windows, click the iD App in the application menu,
this will create an iD icon in the System Tray.
Right clicking on this will allow you to open the mixer window,
and adjust iD14’s settings such as sample rate and buffer size.
So the channel section is what you will use to build up your Main and Cue mixes.
These are terms from mixing consoles, where the main mix refers to a full mix that you,
the engineer would be listening to, and Cue mix which refers to separate customised mixes,
typically used to send to artists when recording.
Making use of the main and Cue mixes on iD14 means you are able to create
a completely separate headphone mix for the artist you are recording.
There are three kinds of channels, Mic channels, Digital channels,
and DAW Returns, and these individual types can be
hidden using these channel toggle buttons in the master section to help keep things tidy.
The two Mic Channels show you the signal from the Mic/Line inputs, the Digital Channels show any
signal from the optical inputs and the DAW returns display the audio coming back from your computer,
where the iD14 output in your DAW will correspond to the DAW return channel.
For example output 1+2 will go to DAW 1+2, and output 3+4 will go to DAW 3+4.
This will come in handy when sending out a separate artist mix.
As you can see, each channel has a fader.
Turning a fader up will send that channel to the physical outputs.
By default the DAW 1+2 outputs are turned up which means that when iD14 is selected as your
computer's sound device, you will be able to hear everything being played out of your computer.
When you turn up one of the input channels, you are making use of the ultra low latency
monitoring, meaning you can listen to your live inputs directly from the interface
without your audio passing through your computer or audio software,
which can sometimes cause an audible and distracting delay.
You can also use the pan control to balance the signal between the left and right sides
in your speakers or headphones, so you can easily craft the perfect headphone mix.
If you are using a stereo source, like micing up a piano or recording a stereo synth,
you can press the stereo/mono button to link the channels together, allowing you to adjust the
left and right sides of your signal at the same time for a more consistent listening experience.
At the top of each channel is the customisable Channel name,
you can double click on this and type the name that you want to help organise your mixer app.
Once named, if you forget the input type, or get a little lost in the mixer window,
you can hover over the channel toggle buttons and the type of input will appear under the name.
On the analog and digital input channels, a polarity reverse button can be found
below the naming strip, for dealing with phase issues caused from using multiple microphones.
On the mic channels you have access to a +10dB digital gain boost for boosting quiet sources.
The Solo and Mute buttons allow you to quickly isolate channels, which can be useful if you
want to check that a particular input is sounding good without any distraction from other sources.
Finally you have the meter, the meter displays the dBFS value,
which is the level that comes into your computer.
If the input is set too loud, the peak LED will light up,
meaning you have clipped your converters and could end up with some bad sounding clipping distortion.
We recommend setting your inputs so at the loudest point, you are peaking at -12 dB.
In the Master section, you are able to toggle between different Mixes,
your Main Mix, typically used for your speaker output, and the Cue Mixes,
generally used for creating custom headphone mixes for artists you are recording.
Simply click on the Mix you want to edit and
adjust the faders and pans on any of the channels you want to hear.
If you want to preview the Cue Mix to hear what your artist will be hearing,
you can hit the solo button in the Cue window.
You can also adjust the master level of the Cue Mix here too.
The meters will show you the overall level of the Cue,
and the chronometer along the bottom will show the level over the last 20 seconds,
so you can see that audio is being sent, and you can also keep an eye out for clipping.
Next we have the monitor control functions.
Here you have a number of different functions that
can be used to help improve your workflow in the studio.
The DIM button will reduce the level of your outputs by a set amount,
useful if you want to have a quick word with someone in the studio,
without having to actually change the level you are wanting to listen to normally.
ALT Speaker will switch to use an alternate set of outputs,
this can be configured in the system panel, but is typically used if you
have two sets of speakers and want to quickly switch between them.
The TALKBACK button opens up a line of communication between the engineer and artist,
either using one of the mic inputs on iD14,
any mic connected to your computer, or even your computer’s built in mic input.
This is configured in the System Panel.
The MONO button will sum the stereo mix bus into a mono signal which is
useful for checking if your mix will sound good on mono sources.
The POLARITY button will flip one side of the stereo field whilst also activating mono,
using phase cancellation to cancel out the centre of the stereo signal and playing only the sides.
This is a great way to get mix inspiration by removing centre
panned signals in existing records, or check the sides of your own mixes
and make sure that any reverbs and delay tails are sounding as good as they can.
And finally, there are cuts for the speaker and headphone outputs.
These can also be activated by selecting the output on the unit, and then pressing the encoder.
The system panel is where you can change most of the inner workings of iD14.
On the left hand side, you have the digital settings.
Here you can select the digital protocol you want to use for your digital input,
if you are using it, either ADAT or S/PDIF.
Below this is the Prefered Clocking Source for when using the digital input.
When using iD14 on its own, you can leave this set to internal.
However when expanding iD14 with a digital device,
you will want to sync iD14 from that other unit, so you select Digital 1.
If the indicator is red, then this indicates that there is no clock signal on the input.
This could be because a cable isn’t connected or the wrong digital protocol is being used.
A yellow indicator shows that a valid clock is available
but the sample rate doesn’t match the current sample rate of the iD14.
A green indicator means that a valid clock is present on that input
and is at the correct sample rate, so you are ready to record.
Below this you is the mono mode, letting you adjust which output is used during mono summing,
either the left or right speaker individually or both at the same time.
This is folllowed by the iD button settings. This sets the function of the iD button on the unit.
By default it is set to ScrollControl, enabling you to use the hardware volume
knob to control different software parameters.
When not using ScrollControl, you can set the iD button to any of iD14’s monitor control functions.
Finally at the bottom you have the trim controls, where you can adjust the amount
the outputs are reduced by when you activate DIM, and where you can adjust the level of
your alt speaker outputs so they sound consistent when you switch speakers.
And now we move onto the routing panel, the sources are displayed horizontally along the top,
and the outputs are vertically on the left.
To route the signal, click the button that lines up with both the source and destination you want.
By default, the Main Mix is routed to outputs 1+2, which means that
everything you have turned up in the Main Mix, will be sent to your main speaker outputs 1+2.
The second set of line outputs are set to Alt Speaker by default, which means
when you press the alt speaker button, this output will switch to play your main mix.
By Default the headphones are set to main mix,
playing exactly the same thing that comes out of your speaker outputs.
However, If you have built a low latency monitoring
mix for an artist on one of the Cue Mixes
and you want to send it to the headphones, you would select the Cue Mix you want for the headphone output.
DAW Thru allows you to directly route signal from your DAW
to a physical output, bypassing all routing and volume controls.
This is useful if you have a separate monitor controller for example.
You will need to be careful when using DAW Thru, because it will send
full volume audio to your outputs, and if you have your speakers connected,
this might not be very pleasant and it could damage your speakers.
You will get a warning explaining this every time you select it,
just in case you press it by mistake.
The other tab in the routing panel is the Talkback tab,
where you can select the input that you will be using for your Talkback source.
This is your way of staying in contact with an artist by speaking directly into their headphones.
Here you have the option to use one of iD14's inputs, whether analogue or digital, or you are
able to use an external source which could be your computer’s built in mic, or even a USB microphone.
When a talkback source is selected,
that channel will change into a Talkback channel in the iD mixer window.
Any external source will replace the DAW Return 6 channel.
A Talkback channel can be identified by its solo and mute channels changing into
a Talkback button which will trigger the Talkback.
By default, the Talkback channel will be routed to both the Cue mixes,
ready to be sent to your artist’s headphones.
Once you have set up the iD Mixer just how you want it,
you can save it as a preset, so you can quickly recall all your settings.
To save a current setup, simply go to File and click Save.
You can now give the configuration a name to remember it by and click Save.
You can also export the configuration to send to friends or collaborators
or to store along with your project.
To recall a preset, simply go to File and then click Open.
A list of your previously saved presets will appear,
choose the one you wish to use and click load.
The mixer will now change to that particular preset.
We hope this video has given you an idea of the capabilities and the powerful features
of the iD Mixer, and that you find it a useful tool to add to your workflow.
If you have any questions at all about how iD14 or the iD app works,
then please leave a comment or get in touch with our support team
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