MusicXPC Professional M4 Ports

The plethora of ports found on the Professional M4 set it apart because of the mix of the latest and the legacy. The ports allow you to connect with virtually any kind of physical device that is found in a music studio and then some. The ports are conveniently arrayed on the front and on the back providing you with options for handling any connection that may confront you.

Here is an overview of the ports found on the Professional M4:

FireWire® [left: 1, PC card-slot: 3]

The FireWire® ports are perfect for the phletora of audio devices that connect to the computer. We tested many audio interfaces from Presonus, Digidesign, M-Audio, ECHO and others and found the performance incredible. They offer plug and play connectivity and hassle-free operation - you can even hook up external hard drives.

USB 2.0 [left: 2, right: 1]

Capable of a blistering transfer rate of 480Mb/s these ports allow for the connection of high definition audio devices and high performance storage devices. USB has become a reliable standard for audio production and the best selling audio interfaces use this protocol. The Professional M4 comes with 3 USB 2.0 ports.

The current wave of USB 2.0 products are high-definition [24/96] audio interfaces that connect to the computer solely through USB 2.0. We can't say enough about the tremendous power available to the audio professionals via USB 2.0.

GigaBit LAN [rear: 1]

The integrated Gigabit LAN allows the Professional M4 to serve as a network gateway for managing traffic between multiple computers. This capability ensures rapid transfer of data from WAN to LAN for the busy music producer on the move. No more bottlenecks downloading updates or backing up the internal hard drive to another MusicXPC.

Multi Media Card [4-in-1]

The Professional M4 provides a plug-and-play media card reader. These cards, typically used on digital cameras, are now affordable in useful sizes [1 and 2 GB]. This is an excellent storage option for moving song & audio files to and from the M4 using a storage media that is fast, convenient and has no moving parts [noiseless]. Keep in mind that a 2 GB media card contains more than 3 CD-ROMs

Express Card [34, 54mm]

The express card is the port for future audio interfaces with the support of both 34mm and 54 mm cards. These cards can expand the Professional M4 with FireWire ports, GPIB interface, Media card readers, Gigabit LAN, Wireless LAN, Serial ports, TV Tuners and Serial ATA ports for the connection of high performance hard drives.

PC Card Bus [Type II]

The Professional M4 ships with PC Card Bus interface where you can connect the high quality interfaces like the E-MU 1616M, ECHO Indigo and RME Hammerfall. These interfaces deliver the sale performance and fidelity of PCI interfaces and are the choice of professional producers who want the same audio performance on their laptop as they have on their desktop.

Microphone Input: You can record audio straight away using the CD quality analog microphone input. OK, we'll admit that the latency is not as lightning fast as a professional audio card, but you don't have to buy a piece of hardware to record an audio signal.

Headphone output: You can monitor audio material from hard drive or CD/DVD by simply plugging into the front of the S3. Once again out of the box we make it easy to work with audio period.

VGA Output

The VGA port is on the right side of the Professional M4 which is better than the rear - as tilting the notebook upwards can create stress on the connectors. This allows the connection of an external monitor at a resolution of up to 1600 x 1200 pixels. You can have either a mirror of the M4 screen or an extended desktop where the arrange page can be visble while the mixer windows are also visible.

V.92/56K Modem

The Professional M4 comes with a V.92 modem. In a Gigabit world dominated by and wireless LAN, a Modem is still a valuable and useful communication device. A modem lets you send and receive faxes over phone lines and can get you on the internet even in a blackout. V.92 at 56K is at the high end of modem features and performance.

S-Video Out

The S-Video output is useful for connecting a TV or camcorder to your M4. S-Video inputs use a four-pin jack to receive video signals from camcorders, gaming consoles, TV, or any device with an S-Video out port. S-Video connections transmit the chrominance (color) and luminance (brightness) portions of a video signal along different paths, allowing them to be processed separately.

Wi-Fi AP Solo

WiFi AP Solo allows a new level of versatility for the M4, enabling it to create a complete wireless home network in either AP or wireless client mode. You can connect to the Internet, access and share printers, and use transfer files from anywhere within range. WiFi-AP Solo can provide these functions even when the M4 is in sleep mode. WiFi-AP Solo is built-in so you save the extra WiFi AP card costs.

Kensington Lock

For users in busy commercial studios or educational institutions, it is essential that security concerns be dealt with. The Professional M4 includes a port to accomodate a Kensington Lock. This allows the machine to be secured using a wire harness to discourage or inhibit those among us who are up to no good. Prevention is better than cure.

		FireWire® [left: 1, PC card-slot: 3] The FireWire® ports are perfect for the phletora of audio devices that connect to the computer. We tested many audio interfaces from Presonus, Digidesign, M-Audio, ECHO and others and found the performance incredible. They offer plug and play connectivity and hassle-free operation - you can even hook up external hard drives.

		USB 2.0 [left: 2, right: 1] Capable of a blistering transfer rate of 480Mb/s these ports allow for the connection of high definition audio devices and high performance storage devices. USB has become a reliable standard for audio production and the best selling audio interfaces use this protocol. The Professional M4 comes with 3 USB 2.0 ports.

		GigaBit LAN [rear: 1] The integrated Gigabit LAN allows the Professional M4 to serve as a network gateway for managing traffic between multiple computers. This capability ensures rapid transfer of data from WAN to LAN for the busy music producer on the move. No more bottlenecks downloading updates or backing up the internal hard drive to another MusicXPC.

		Multi Media Card [4-in-1] The Professional M4 provides a plug-and-play media card reader. These cards, typically used on digital cameras, are now affordable in useful sizes [1 and 2 GB]. This is an excellent storage option for moving song & audio files to and from the M4 using a storage media that is fast, convenient and has no moving parts [noiseless]. Keep in mind that a 2 GB media card contains more than 3 CD-ROMs

		Express Card [34, 54mm] The express card is the port for future audio interfaces with the support of both 34mm and 54 mm cards. These cards can expand the Professional M4 with FireWire ports, GPIB interface, Media card readers, Gigabit LAN, Wireless LAN, Serial ports, TV Tuners and Serial ATA ports for the connection of high performance hard drives.

		PC Card Bus [Type II] The Professional M4 ships with PC Card Bus interface where you can connect the high quality interfaces like the E-MU 1616M, ECHO Indigo and RME Hammerfall. These interfaces deliver the sale performance and fidelity of PCI interfaces and are the choice of professional producers who want the same audio performance on their laptop as they have on their desktop.

		Microphone Input: You can record audio straight away using the CD quality analog microphone input. OK, we'll admit that the latency is not as lightning fast as a professional audio card, but you don't have to buy a piece of hardware to record an audio signal. Headphone output: You can monitor audio material from hard drive or CD/DVD by simply plugging into the front of the S3. Once again out of the box we make it easy to work with audio period.

		VGA Output The VGA port is on the right side of the Professional M4 which is better than the rear - as tilting the notebook upwards can create stress on the connectors. This allows the connection of an external monitor at a resolution of up to 1600 x 1200 pixels. You can have either a mirror of the M4 screen or an extended desktop where the arrange page can be visble while the mixer windows are also visible.

		V.92/56K Modem The Professional M4 comes with a V.92 modem. In a Gigabit world dominated by and wireless LAN, a Modem is still a valuable and useful communication device. A modem lets you send and receive faxes over phone lines and can get you on the internet even in a blackout. V.92 at 56K is at the high end of modem features and performance.

		S-Video Out The S-Video output is useful for connecting a TV or camcorder to your M4. S-Video inputs use a four-pin jack to receive video signals from camcorders, gaming consoles, TV, or any device with an S-Video out port. S-Video connections transmit the chrominance (color) and luminance (brightness) portions of a video signal along different paths, allowing them to be processed separately.

		Wi-Fi AP Solo WiFi AP Solo allows a new level of versatility for the M4, enabling it to create a complete wireless home network in either AP or wireless client mode. You can connect to the Internet, access and share printers, and use transfer files from anywhere within range. WiFi-AP Solo can provide these functions even when the M4 is in sleep mode. WiFi-AP Solo is built-in so you save the extra WiFi AP card costs.

		Kensington Lock For users in busy commercial studios or educational institutions, it is essential that security concerns be dealt with. The Professional M4 includes a port to accomodate a Kensington Lock. This allows the machine to be secured using a wire harness to discourage or inhibit those among us who are up to no good. Prevention is better than cure.

m4 left corner