Important Hints to the Marc A driver version 4.11 for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista
1. System Requirements
2. New Installation
3. Driver Update
4. Driver Uninstall
5. What's new
6. Operation in Windows Vista
7. MME, DirectSound and "Classic MME"
8. Software Sampler and Synthesizers
- Microsoft Windows 2000 SP3, Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista each with the 32-bit version
- Microsoft DirectX 9b
- Start your PC after installing your hardware.
- Log in using administrator privileges.
- Windows automatically recognizes at startup the newly
installed device and starts the Hardware Wizard.
- During the start of Windows the Hardware Wizard
searches for new drivers. Click "Next" to start the search.
- Enable the “Search for the best driver for your device”
option and confirm by clicking "Next".
- Insert the supplied CD in your CD-ROM drive.
- Confirm the next dialog with „Next“
- Confirm the next window also with „Next“
- Ignore the message „Digital signature not found“ and
continue the installation with „Yes“
- Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite a newer
"maasio2.dll" answer "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
- After finishing the installation click "Finish”.
- Start your PC after installing your hardware.
- Log in using administrator privileges.
- Insert the supplied CD in your CD-ROM drive.
- Windows automatically recognizes at startup the newly
installed device and starts the Hardware Wizard.
- Enable the option „Install Software automatically“ and
confirm by clicking „Next“.
- Ignore the next message
and click „Continue“
- Windows noew copies the
driver files. When you are asked to overwrite a newer "maasio2.dll" answer "No" to keep the newer version
of that file.
- After finishing the
installation the Marc A is ready to be operated without having to restart the
system.
2.3 Windows Vista
- After the hardware installation the message "Found new hardware" appears. Click on "Locate and install driver software
(recommended)".
- If the User Account Control requests you acceptance, then click "Continue".
- If your computer has not a permanent connection to the internet, then now you have the opportunity the choose "Do not
search online". In any other case the Windows Installer now begins to search Windows Update for a new driver version. This may
need upto some minutes.
- Then you are requested to "Insert the disk that came with your Multimedia Controller". Insert the driver disk of your
MARIAN Sound System and the Windows Installer searches the disk for new drivers.
- If you get the message "Windows can't verify the publisher of this driver software" click on "Install this driver software
anyway".
- The drivers are now installed. When you are asked to overwrite a newer "maasio2.dll" answer "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.
- Unzip the driver update package ("ma-nt6-411.zip") with the included subdirectory structure to any folder.
- Uninstall the driver software like described in "Driver Uninstall".
- Restart Windows
3.1 Windows 2000/XP/2003
- Logon with administrator privileges again.
- Now, the Windows Hardware Wizard starts with a "New
hardware found" dialog.
- Do NOT use the option "Install software automatically". Use the option "Install from list a specified
location"
- Click "Next" and choose the folder where you have unzipped the driver update package.
- Follow the instructions of the Windows Hardware Wizard until the end of the installation process. When the Hardware Wizard
states "... has not passed the Windows Logo testing" then click „Continue Anyway“
- During the copy process the windows hardware wizard may ask you to overwrite a newer "ma_nt5_ui.exe".
Answer "yes" to overwrite this file. When you are asked to overwrite a newer "maasio2.dll" answer "No" to keep the newer version
of that file.
- After the driver installation a restart could be necessary.
3.2 Windows Vista
- After the restart the message "Found new hardware" appears. Click on "Locate and install driver software (recommended)".
- If the User Account Control requests you acceptance, then click "Continue".
- If your computer has not a permanent connection to the internet, then now you have the opportunity the choose "Do not
search online". In any other case the Windows Installer now begins to search Windows Update for a new driver version. This may
need upto some minutes.
- Then you are requested to "Insert the disk that came with your Multimedia Controller". Click on "I don't have the disk.
Show me other options".
- In the following dialog click on "Browse my computer for driver software (advanced)".
- Now choose the folder where you have unpacked the driver update package and click on "Next".
- If you get the message "Windows can't verify the publisher of this driver software" click on "Install this driver software
anyway".
- The drivers are now installed. During the copy process the windows hardware wizard may ask you to overwrite a newer "ma_nt5_ui.exe".
Answer "yes" to overwrite this file. When you are asked to overwrite a newer "maasio2.dll" answer "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.
You can uninstall the driver software using the program "ma_nt5_ui.exe". The most recent version of this program can you find on
the installation disk or in installation package and on the harddisk in the folder "\windows\system32".
4.1 Windows 2000/XP/2003
- Ensure you are logged on with administrator privileges
- Start "ma_nt5_ui.exe" and follow its instructions.
- After that program has finished its work, please restart Windows.
4.2 Windows Vista
- 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 "MARIAN Marc A" and choose "Uninstall".
- In the next dialog activate the option "Delete the driver software for this device" and start the uninstall with "Ok".
- Now start "ma_nt5_ui.exe" mit a right-click on the program file follows by a click on "Run as administrator". Acknowledge
the warning of the User Account Control with "Allow".
- Now follow the instructions of the uninstaller.
- After the Uninstaller has finished, you only have to restart Windows if you want to install another driver.
Version 4.11:
- ASIO:
- significant improved performance and stability
- New: ASIO Timestamp Hybrid Engine brings precision in micro-second range on the time base of the ASIO application! The
drift of two system timers, which can be observed on many computers, is effectively compensated by this enigne.
- Incompabilities, who came up with Steinberg Cubase Version 4.1, solved.
- Vista: when using more than one card, a BSOD could occur on restart. Solved.
Version 4.00:
- Support of Windows Vista (32 Bit). Please note the hints in "Operation in Windows Vista".
- The driver package now includes support for the german and the english language altogether. The Windows Installer install
die matching language files automatically. In Windows 2000/XP/2003 the current language is determined by "Standards and
Formats". (see Control Panel | Regions and Language Options" | "Regional Settings"). In Windows Vista the language is
determined by the language of the Windows installation.
- Manager: New function "Reset Window Positions". This function is especially useful when working with multi monitor
systems. If a manager window is shown at a second monitor and if this monitor is not available anymore e.g. after a windows
restart, you cannot access this window anymore. In such a situation you can use the function "Reset Window Positions" and all
manager windows will be shown again at the main monitor at the default positions.
- Added link to MARIAN Info Center. After driver installation you are asked to install/view/download the MARIAN Info center.
If you have the update version of the driver from WEB, the only option is to download the MARIAN Info Center. If you have the
CD version of the driver, you have also the option to install or view the MARIAN Info Center from CD.
Version 3.09:
- Recording @48 kHz via WDM Audio/Standard MME could result in a 44.1 kHz recording. Solved.
- Recording via Standard MME device could hang on start or when pause was executed twice. Solved.
- ASIO: Included a so called "Unhandled Exception Handler" for ASIO applications which do not handle their own exceptions
(e.g. program faults). This piece of code will stop any ASIO transfer to avoid upcoming problems after an application fault.
- ASIO: The settings made in the ASIO Device Setup Dialog are now stored also for applications started at the command
prompt.
Version 3.05:
- New option in the audio settings: "ASIO: Initial Clock Source". Some ASIO applications do not allow to
determine the clock source for an audio setup. In that case you can set the desired clock source here before you start such
kind of application. With respect on the multi client capabilities of the Marc A driver it is not possible to change the clock
source here for running ASIO applications.
- Generally, the clock source "SyncBus" can now be used explicitly. This allows to set another MARIAN
sound system as clock master without being involved with the ASIO/GSIF Audio Device Setup.
Depending on the PCI Bus Timing on some system the SyncBus Start/Stop did not work correctly.
Solved.
The GSIF settings now contain an option to determine the clock source for GigaStudio. See Marc A Manager |
Settings | Audio Options. Additionally, the best latency achievable could be improved.
- Audio Device Names are now shown correctly within GigaStudio 3.
- Windows 2000: Stopping audio cd playback via DirectSound or Standard MME with WinAmp could cause a Blue Screen. Fixed.
- When terminating a recording process via Windows Task Manager during recording via DirectSound or Standard MME a Blue
Screen occurred. Fixed.
Version 2.09:
- During playback using DirectSound or MME via WDM-Audio two error situations could occur when the driver was not supplied
with enough playback data by the WDM Audio System:
- Case 1: After such kind of drop out, the playback could stop. If this
occurred during playback of Windows system sounds, the affected device was not available for other audio applications anymore.
(possibly error message: "Device already in use")
- Case 2: After such kind of drop out, the playback signal possibly could not be heard anymore (totally or partial),
although the output level meters shown the correct playback signal.
=> Both phenomenon solved.
- The driver manager windows are now displayed correctly when used with the Windows 2000 screen setting "Large fonts".
- When you activate the driver start/stop settings "Synchronous" or "SyncBus" a warning message will be shown regarding the
incompatibility of the DirectSound or MME via WDM-Audio devices with these settings. Please read more about this here:
5. MME, WDM-Audio, DirectSound and "Classic MME"
Version 2.06:
- System requirements changed
- Windows 2000 service pack 3 solves some problems with the Microsoft Kernel
Mixer
- DirectX 9 ensures that DirectSound devices are not shown as "emulated"
- Driver's setup procedure cleans some audio related registry keys. Thus, it
prevents/solves some effects of a Windows Installer anomaly, which may cause
some problems with audio/midi devices
- No IRQ usage anymore
- The IRQ number still can be found in the windows device manager but it is
not used by the hardware or driver.
- The hardware IRQ can be used exclusively by other system components.
- IRQ incompatibilities with any other system cannot appear anymore
- Support of WDM-Audio Kernel Streaming
Thus, "real" WDM-Audio applications like Cakewalk Sonar are able to work with
extremely low latencies.
More details you can find at
MME, DirectSound and "Classic MME"
- Support of DirectSound
- Support of Windows Volume Control (Windows Mixer Device)
- Support of Tascam GSIF
You can use additional settings within the Marc A Manager software to setup
the GSIF latency manually.
- CPU load during recording/playback reduced once again
- ASIO Error Messages reviewed/changed
- Marc A Manager
- The main window, which were used to open the inputs and outputs windows, is now replaced by a menu. Just
right click the manager icon in the taskbar to open this menu.
- When changing the preferred device in the recording and playback device lists of the Windows control panel, in some cases
the manager loses it's connection to the driver. Thus, the input and output windows could not be opened anymore. Solved.
- New option to control the sample rate when no audio application (including the Windows system) is using the Marc A. Now you
can choose whether the card should keep the last used sample rate (default) or it should switch to a standard sample rate.
Please see the appropriate settings in the manager software at "Synchronization".
Version 1.13:
- Record CPU load, caused by the Marc A PCI bus transfer, decreased by 30%
- 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 A Manager Software now uses the registry branch "HKCU" (User related) to store it's settings.
- Improvements for using two Marc A simultaneously.
Version 1.11:
- ASIO: posible error "Init: No driver or no devices present!" solved
- ASIO: You are now able to choose "Internal" clock as clock source even in the case that ADAT record devices are enabled.
In this mode you must ensure that the external connected device is working in clock-slave-mode! If your external connected
device works as clock master, then you are obligated to choose "ADAT input" as clock source or playback/recording produce drop
outs and/or general failures.
Version 1.10:
- This version is compatible to Windows XP
- Start/Stop Synchronization of record and playback assured
- MME: synchronous buffer return improved
Version 1.01:
- Because of legal reasons the name "Prodif" cannot be used anymore. The existing hardware and related drivers are now part
of the
product "Marc A".
Version 1.0:
- Because of the new audio architecture in Windows™ Vista, the "Classic MME Drivers" cannot be supported anymore.
- On Windows™ Vista audio applications, who do not use ASIO or WSAPI, are not able to set a certain samplerate or sample
format. Instead, sample rate and sample format is set in the advanced settings of an audio device in the windows control
panel. This leads to the following:
- If the desired samplerate of an audio application is not equal to the current set samplerate, a samplerate conversion
with possibly an audible loss of quality will be the result!
- When using an audio device of the sound system with the samplreate x and additionally attempting to use another device
but with a samplerate y, an error message will appear, since the soundcard may only be used with one samplerate at a time.
Unlike Windows 2000/XP, Windows Vista undertakes no sample rate conversion in this case!
- In order to operate several devices with a certain samplerate, this samplerate has to be set up in the advanced
settings of an audio device in the windows control panel for each device separately. As concluded from the previous point
– no device of the soundsystem should be in use, or else a change will be rejected!
- If you want to set the sample format for the audio devices, first start with the playback devices and afterwards with
the recording devices. Background: When you open the tab "Recording", Vista starts a recording with each recording device
in the list to be able to show the input levels. In this case your MARIAN Audio System is in use with a certain sample
rate! If you now change back to the tab "Playback", Vista wil not stop the recording and a change to different sample rate
for a playback device will fail.
7.1 MME und DirectSound:
Audio applications, who do not use ASIO, GSIF or direct WDM-Audio, now
communicate with Microsoft MME or Microsoft DirectSound 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. If playback takes place
with different samplerate, the Microsoft Kernel Mixer converts the samplerate
of the playback streams to the highest samperate required.
Hint: You can improve the quality of this conversion! (See Control Panel |
Sounds and Audio Devices | Audio | Sound Playback | Advanced | System
Performance)
- The described simultaneous playback of different applications fails, if
the output device is already in use by ASIO, GSIF, "Classic MME" or direct
WDM-Audio.
- The number of the available recording and playback devices is limited:
- under Windows 2000 to 10 devices each (20 channels)
- under Windows XP to 32 devices each (64 channels)
This limitation applies to the number of all audio devices installed in the
system.
You can use "Classic MME" or ASIO to walk around this limitation.
- The minimum possible latency is limited to app. 20..30ms through the
Microsoft Kernel Mixer architecture.
Use ASIO or GSIF to walk around this limitation.
- Microsoft DirectSound or Microsoft MME devices (MME via WDM-Audio) does not work with the driver's options for start/stop
synchronization. Activate the options "Synchron" and "SyncBus Synchron" only, if you use ASIO, GSIF or classic MME devices.
Else the entire WDM-Audio system may "freeze". This issue can not be compensated by our software.
Attention: The Windows System Sounds use MME via WDM-Audio in case you have not chosen a classic MME device.
- 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.
- Some audio applications require the MARIAN driver because of its
additional hardware support functions:
- Hardware Punch In Monitoring
- Hardware Pitch Support
- Hardware Audio Signal Routing
- Hardware Audio Signal Level Measurement
These functions are not supported by the Microsoft drivers. Please supply this
audio applications with the "Classic MME" devices.
7.2
"Classic MME"
(not available in Windows Vista)
The MARIAN driver enables you to use the MME driver interface of the previous
driver versions in addition to all other driver interfaces. From now, we call
this interface "Classic MME". You can activate "Classic MME" within the Marc A
Manager "Settings | Audio Options". If this driver interface is active, then you get additional
recording and playback devices with the appropriate device lists. These devices
have the name suffix "(MME)".
The "Classic MME" device have these advantages:
- The number of the recording and playback devices available is NOT limited
(see above)
- These devices support the MARIAN hardware support functions (see above)
- These devices are working much faster and you achieve better latency values
- These devices guarantee exact start/stop synchrony. This can never be made with DirectSound or WDM-Audio devices
Software samplers and synthesizers normally supply MIDI output devices for
other audio applications who want to use the software sampler as an instrument.
If such an application starts, then normally this application opens the MIDI
output devices and this in turn causes the software sampler to initialize its
audio engine with the configured audio outputs.
THIS OCCURS EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT STARTED THE SOFTWARE SAMPLER APPLICATION.
In the described situation the software sampler and the other audio application
may conflict, if they use the same audio output. You can use the Marc A with
different audio applications at the same time but never the same output device
simultaneously.
Therefore this hint:
- First start the software sampler/synthesizer and setup an audio output
device which will NOT be used by the other audio application. Start the audio
application (sequencer) afterwards.
- If you start an ASIO or GSIF application the first time, then it will use
the device "Marc A 1-2" for recording and playback.
The Windows Multimedia System also supplies a software synthesizer called
"Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth". This synthesizer has also a MIDI output port
with the same name. Since there is no explicit setup for the output device, the
"Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth" always uses the standard playback device
configured in "Control Panel | Sounds and Multimedia | Audio".
(c) MARIAN Digital Audio Electronics, Leipzig
04-14-2008