************************************************************************* Important Hints to the Prodif 96 PRO driver v3.00 for Windows 95/98 ************************************************************************* 1. The first installation of the Prodif 96 PRO and related drivers 2. Update from older drivers to driver version 3.00 3. What's new ? 4. Attention: Windows System Sounds 5. Attention: Multicard Users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. The first installation of the Prodif 96 PRO an related drivers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * If you want to install a Prodif 96 PRO for the first time, then go ahead as follows: - Switch of your computer and open the cover. - Put one or more (max. 4) Prodif 96 PRO's into free PCI slots. - Close the cover and switch on you computer. - Start Windows95/98 amd follow the instructions on the screen. - First, the Windows operation system may not find a driver, because it doesn't exists at the root directory of you installaton disk. - Search for the language directory of you choice und click "Ok." - Under Windows95b/c it may happen, that you have to choose the correct installation directory once again. - After you have installed the drivers, the Prodif 96 PRO Sound System is ready for action. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Update from older drivers to driver version 3.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * If you have installed one ore more Prodif 96 PRO(s) and related drivers so go ahead as follows: - Start Windows and remove all Prodif 96 PRO entries from device managers device list. (recommend for users with ONE card ONLY) O R - Start Windows in SAFE MODE (recommend for users with MORE THAN ONE card) - Start the Prodif 96 PRO Deinstaller (PD96PUI.EXE), which is located in root directory of you installation disk and (after a successful installation) in windows system directory. - Restart your Windows and follow the instuctions on screen. (see also the description under 1.) ------------------------------------------ 3. What's new ? ------------------------------------------ Version 3.00 * ASIO 2.0 Support * DatMarker Support CD marker/indexes can not be read * Complete implementation of the SyncBus feature with start/stop sychronization * A lot of detail improvements * Known bug: The Adat Monitoring via Analog Out doesn't work. We will fix this with the next driver version. Version 2.09: * DirectSound driver problem solved, which was the cause of very strange appearances and possible system crashs while using DirectSound applications. * Additional DirectSound Option "Restrict Playback Format" implemented: (see Manager - Settings - DirectSound) In interaction of some DirectSound Applications and the DirectX System it may occur, that the hardware driver is used with another sample format by DirectX that requested by the application. A realtime sample format converting is the consequence. This may have a negative influence to the sound quality and the overall system performance. So, if you get the impressiom that it didn't sounds like you expect (like a bad format converting), please close your application, open the Prodif 96 PRO Manager and set the sample format you need in "Settings - DirectSound - Restrict Playback Format". This setting forces the DirectX System to use the hardware driver with this sample format only. Therefore a realtime format converting by DirectX will not happen. But, if an application uses another sample format than you have set, the realtime format converting of DirectX will be done again. * Now you can disable the error messages about Device Conflicts (ADAT against Digital), like the messages about Sample Rate Conflicts. Please see Prodif 96 PRO Manager - Settings - Misc. This is useful when using programms which does a functionality test with all available wave devices. (eg. emagic Logic Audio, Steinberg VST) But please note that this doesn't remove the cause of such messages. If an error occurs and you have switched off the error/warning messages it is much harder to find its cause. Version 2.08: * DirectSound Support * The Prodif 96 PRO Manager (Mixer) Application is now available at the taskbar (not in Control Panel). Please double click the appropriate icon to activate this application. * The "Setting Panel" was moved to the main window of the Prodif 96 PRO Manager and strongly redesigned. Please check there "Settings" to show and manipulate alle settings of the Prodif 96 PRO such as Clock Setup, Start/Stop Synchronization, DirectSound and more. (Earlier the settings were found at the drivers properties dialog of "Multimedia Devices") * New PunchIn- and AutoRecord Monitoring (see Input sections of Prodif 96 PRO Manager) (Not new: all monitoring is supported by the hardware and thats why handled without any latency ("zero latency monitoring")) * Independent ADAT Record Devices - see Settings|Synchronization (makes multiple separate recording session with single ADAT record devices possible) * Settings|Clock - Sync to ADAT now causes a immediately switch to ADAT operation mode of the card. (after "Ok or "Apply"). After a restart of the operating system the card will synchronize itself to an incoming ADAT data stream and will be therefore in ADAT operation mode again. (O2R/O3R users will enjoy this ...) While in this operation mode, NO S/PDIF or AES/EBU recording/playback is possible! The new clock setup shows this by visual deactivating the digital wires and devices. - If you link any device with the clock of the digital input, the card will go into the S/PDIF or AES/EBU operation mode and synchronizes itself to an incoming S/PDIF or AES/EBU data stream. While in this operation mode, NO ADAT recording/playback is possible. The new clock setup show this by visual deactivating the appropriate ADAT controls. - If neither the first or the second described sync option is used, the card behaves normal which means that it chooses the correct operation mode automatically depending on what you want - record/play using ADAT or S/PDIF or AES/EBU. * The ADAT Monitor Mode, accessable via "Analog Out" Window, will not be terminated, when you close the "Analog Out" Window. The Driver keeps this mode in mind and will restore this mode after an Windows restart. This causes the card to be in ADAT operation mode too. * Through this two opportunities mentioned above, we eliminated the setting "ADAT operation mode at windows start". * Additional procedures to check successful hardware initialization at windows start * Developers Interest Only: - Call of several waveOut-fuction by DevId Version 1.13 * System "Freeze" problem, caused by an incompatibility between some mainboards and the souncard hardware (PCI controller) solved. * Compensation of a Windows95a error while handling floating point operation (Exception 7 (Blue Screen) during driver installation or windows start) * New driver tests to ensure a proper hardware configuration by windows. * Some DAT Recorders locked out while in AES/EBU mode - solved. * Some DAT Recorders denieds recording (Copy Prohibited) - solved. * New setting for Default Operation Mode (ADAT or Digital) after Windows Start (O2R User Request). See: Control Panel->Multimedia->Devices->Prodif 96 PRO...->Properties->Settings * Messages about samplerate conflicts now can be disabled. See: Control Panel->Multimedia->Devices->Prodif 96 PRO...->Properties->Settings Version 1.12: * IRQ Sharing The Prodif 96 Pro now is able to share a IRQ with other PCI components. That means of course other Prodif 96 PRO's too. Except from IRQ Sharing are PCI components which doesn't support IRQ Sharing (the most of it support it). * Better layout done for the synchronization setup panel (Control Panel| Multimedia|Prodif 96 PRO ...|Properties|Settings) * "Blue Screen Bug" which occurs when enabling the "Sync to WordClock" option fixed. * Samplitude's Hardware Monitor Support now implemented. You can choose the required monitor output for the analog input and the digital input at the panels of the Prodif 96 PRO mixer (see Control Panel). Version 1.10: * Multiple Card Support (max. 4) * Comfortable "Adat Monitoring" through the analog output * Monitoring of the digital playback signal through the analog output * Monitoring of the analog playback signal through the digital output (Not new: all monitoring is supported by the hardware and that why handled without any latency ("zero latency")) * Playback Peakmeters improved (not more to early) * Playback performance improved (smaller buffers possible) * Bugfixing: - hops at playback start, occuring with small buffers only, removed - Memory Leak of 8 bytes per multiple, failed calls of waveIn/OutOpen removed - Multiple peakmeters, showing the same signal, now showing the same. ------------------------------------------ 4. Attention: Windows System Sounds ------------------------------------------ * After the first installtion of an audio device driver, Windows NT 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 conjunction with running audio applications. * Per default the driver takes care of a synchron start and stop of all devices of the Prodif 96 PRO. 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 specific circumstances) in a undefined state. You can solve this behavior by switching off the system sounds (Control Panel->Sounds) or by deactivating the Start/Stop Synchronization Option of the Prodif 96 PRO driver. ------------------------------------------ 5. Attention: Multicard Users ------------------------------------------ * If you get an error message at windows start which shows an harware initialization error, please remove ALL card from you computer and test each card alone. This is the only safe way to find out the defect card! Please request your hardware dealer to Exchange of the defect card against a new one. * NEVER disable or remove a Prodif 96 PRO entry from windows device manager's list! This may cause problems in interaction with the Prodif 96 PRO Manager and Driver. System crashs may be the consequence. This problem will be solved in the next driver update. * Please install a driver update ONLY like described under 2. Leipzig 08-28-2000