Important Hints for Clara E driver version 4.39 for Windows™

1. System Requirements
2. New Installation
3. Driver Update
4. Driver Uninstall
5. What's new?
6. Samplerate Considerations
7. MME, WDM-Audio and DirectSound

1. System Requirements

Windows™ 7, Windows™ 8.x, Windows™ 10 (each 64 bit or 32 bit), Windows™ 11 and related server systems.

2. New Driver Installation

In the most cases Windows™ 7/8/10/11 does not start the installation of new found PCIe hardware automatically. Thus, you have to start the installation by use of the Windows™ Device Manager. You can open the Device Manager with right click "Computer", then "Manage | Device Manager".
There, right-click at "Other Devices | Multimedia Controller" and choose "Update Driver Software".
In the following dialog click on "Browse my computer for driver software".
Now choose the folder of your CD or the folder where you have unpacked the driver update package and click on "Next".
If you get a message which asks you to trust software of "MARIAN GmbH", acknowledge that message and activate the option "Always trust software of MARIAN GmbH" in order to get that message never again.
The drivers are now installed. Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite newer files answer with "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
Finally, another dialog will tell you the end of the installation process. Click on "Close" here.
In some cases, the installer has to change some windows settings which need a restart. Please restart windows, if the installer requests it.
Attention with Windows 10/11: Directly after the installation, Windows executes extensive audio tests with each audio device / channel pair of the installed audio interface. During this time almost every audio functionality with this audio interface is blocked by Windows. Thus, we recommend to start working with the audio interface and every related software first when these audio tests have been finished. It take appr. 1-2 minutes but takes place just once directly after the driver installation or if just once, if you setup a new sample format in "Driver Settings | WDM Audio".

3. Driver Update

Unzip the driver update package for Windows 10/11 "mabs_w10_4397.zip" or the driver update package for Windows 7/8 "mabs_w7p_4397.zip" with the included subdirectory structure to any folder.
Uninstall the driver software like described in "Driver Uninstall".
Restart Windows™
You have to start the installation by use of the Windoows Device Manager. You can open the Device Manager with right click "Computer", then "Manage | Device Manager".
There, right-click at "Other Devices | Multimedia Controller" and choose "Update Driver Software".
In the following dialog click on "Browse my computer for driver software".
Now choose the folder where you have unpacked the driver update package and click on "Next".
If you get a message which asks you to trust software of "MARIAN GmbH", acknowledge that message and activate the option "Always trust software of MARIAN GmbH" in order to get that message never again.
The drivers are now installed. Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite newer files answer with "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
Finally, another dialog will tell you the end of the installation process. Click on "Close" here.
After these steps it might be necessary to update the firmware of your MARIAN PCIe Audio Interface. It can only be determined after the installation of the new driver if a firmware update is needed. If that is the case, the update will then be performed automatically. In order to get the new firmware in effect, you have to SWITCH OFF and to SWITCH ON the computer.
Attention with Windows 10/11: Directly after the installation, Windows executes extensive audio tests with each audio device / channel pair of the installed audio interface. During this time almost every audio functionality with this audio interface is blocked by Windows. Thus, we recommend to start working with the audio interface and every related software first when these audio tests have been finished. It take appr. 1-2 minutes but takes place just once directly after the driver installation or if just once, if you setup a new sample format in "Driver Settings | WDM Audio".

4. Driver Uninstall

First uninstall the driver software using the Windows™ Device Manager. You can start it right away with a right-click on "Computer" in the start menu. Then choose "Manage" and acknowledge the question of the User Account Control with "Continue".
In the Device Manager under "Sound, Video and Game Controller" right-click on the required MARIAN PCIe Audio Interface and choose "Uninstall".
In the next dialog activate the option "Delete the driver software for this device" and start the uninstall with "Ok".
After the Uninstaller has finished, you only have to restart Windows™ if you want to install another driver.

5. What's new?

Version 4.39:

First official release for Clara E - the PCIe Audio Interface for Dante™ Networks.

6. Samplerate Considerations

On recent versions of Windows™, audio applications are able to set a certain sample format only, if they use ASIO or WASAPI in exclusive mode. In all other cases Windows handles the audio devices in so called "Shared Mode" and the sample format is set in the advanced settings of an audio device (Windows™ control panel) or in the driver settings "WDM Audio". If the desired sample format of an audio application is not equal to the sample format of an audio device, a sample fomrat conversion with possibly an audible loss of quality will be the result!

7. MME, WDM-Audio and DirectSound

Audio applications, who do not use ASIO or direct WDM-Audio, now communicate with Microsoft MME or Microsoft WDM Audio drivers instead of communicate with the MARIAN drivers directly. The Microsoft drivers in turn communicate with the MARIAN drivers.
For audio applications, who use these Microsoft drivers, apply:

They can playback simultaneously using one playback device. The Microsoft Kernel Mixer mixes the playback signals of the applications into one stereo stream and routes it to one physical output device.
The number of the available recording and playback devices Windows™ 7 is limited to 32 devices each (64 channels)
This limitation applies to the number of all audio devices installed in the system.
You can use ASIO to walk around this limitation.
The minimum possible latency is limited to app. 20..30ms through the Microsoft Kernel Mixer architecture.
Use ASIO to walk around this limitation.
Some audio applications show additional audio devices with theirs names appended by "(3+4)" or "(5+6)". This is caused by an anomaly of the Microsoft MME/DirectSound system. Please ignore these devices and do not use them.