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 Important Hints to the Marc 2 driver version 1.14 for Windows 2000/XP
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1. System Requirements
2. Installation
3. What's new
4. What's to do
5. Attention: Windows System Sounds

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  1. System Requirements
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* Windows 2000 SP1 or Windows XP

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  2. Installation
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* Ensure that you are logged on with administrator rights at Windows 2000/XP

* Update:
  First remove an older Marc 2 driver by use of the device manager of Windows 2000/XP.
  Then force the device manager to search for new hardware or restart your computer.
  In this case logon at Windows 2000/XP as an administrator again.

* Follow the instructions of the Windows 2000/XP hardware assistant. Choose the folder where
  you have copied the driver before as path to the device drivers.
 
* In some cases (update and installation of multiple cards) Windows 2000/XP requests you 
  to restart your system. In this case - restart your system really.

* After the installation the Marc 2 Sound System is ready to operate.

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  3. What's new
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Version 1.14:

* Non-Audio digital format added in "Marc 2 Manager | Digital Output". 
  (useful e.g. for streaming AC3 audio to an external AC3 decoder)
* Unistaller program included

Version 1.13:

* ASIO: performance improved when using less than all playback devices of one card
* ASIO: When using an ASIO application, the driver overrides user's clock and start/stop
  synchronization settings with appropriate values.
  (these user settings are applicable for MME applications only).
  Now, the driver restores the user settings again, when the last ASIO application has finished.
* Marc 2 Manager Software now uses the registry branch "HKCU" to store it's
  settings. This solves the problem with the error message 
  "Could not write to marc2mix.ini" that appeared on some systems during shutdown.
* More audio clients allowed for the driver. This prevents some cases where 
  error messages report "Unsufficient System Ressources" Or "No Memory".

Version 1.10:

* This version is compatible to Windows XP

Version 1.01:
* Start/Stop Synchronization of record and playback assured
* MME: synchronous buffer return improved
* Buf fixed: input/output volumes restored after windows restart
* Checked: automatic monitoring with Samplitude v6.03

Version 1.0 to NT4 Version 1.03

* "Plug and Play" Support
* Support of the Windows 2000 computer configurations:
  - ACPI Multiprozessor PC
  - ACPI PC
  - ACPI Uniprozessor PC
  - MPS Multiprozessor PC
  - MPS Uniprozessor PC
  - Standard PC
* ASIO 2.0 Support

NT4 Version 1.03:

* DAT Marker Support
* Samplesrates down to 8kHz for Analog I/O
* 32 Bit Audio Data Transfer Format for MME applications

NT4 Version 1.02,
NT4 Version 1.0:

  - Please note the following cases:

    1. If a digital record session is activ or
    2. If the "Marc 2 Digital Input Window" is open or
    3. If the Digital Input Signal is monitored at the Analog Output

    then

    - Digital Playback is running with the clock/samplerate of the Digital Input
    - The monitoring of analog sources is NOT possible with digital out.

  - Please note the following cases:

    1. If an analog record session is activ or
    2. If the "Marc 2 Analog Input Window" is open or
    3. If the Analog Input Signal is monitored at the Digital Output

    then

    - The monitoring of digital sources is NOT possible with analog out.

  - If Digital Playback is running(!), a start(!) of digital record is
    NOT possible. If you open the "Marc 2 Digital Input Window" and a
    Digital Playback is running, the Peakmeters will not work.

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  4. What's to do
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* WDM Kernel implementation to support DirectSound
  and WDM based applications
* ACPI power management functions

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  5. Attention: Windows System Sounds
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* After the first installtion of an audio device driver,
  Windows 2000/XP switchs on the Windows System Sounds per default.
  The system will playback these sound if a message box appears or
  a windows will be minimized or maxminized.
  The use of this system sounds may cause some problems in conjuction
  with running audio applications.

* Per default the driver takes care of a synchron start and stop of all
  analog devices of the Marc 2. This is a really important feature for
  each multichannel harddiskrecording program but it may cause conflicts 
  with the windows system sounds.
  If a running playback- or recording session will be interrupted by
  a system sound (because of a message box or window actions) the
  playback- or recording session will STOP too and the related audio
  application will hang (under specially circumstances) in a undefined state .
  You can solve this behavior by switching off the system sounds
  (Control Panel->System Sounds) or by deactivating the Start/Stop
  Synchronization Option of the Marc 2 driver. 
  (Taskbar->Marc 2 Icon Doubleclick->Settings) .


Leipzig 09-23-03