TerraTec DMX 6fireLT Manual
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TerraTec DMX 6fireLT Manual

TerraTec DMX 6fireLT Manual

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SoundSystem
LT
High Resolution DVD / Games / Music
English Manual
Version 27.02.02

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Summary of Contents for TerraTec DMX 6fireLT

  • Page 1 SoundSystem High Resolution DVD / Games / Music English Manual Version 27.02.02...
  • Page 2 Meticulous care has been exercised in the preparation of all text passages and illustrations in this User Guide. TerraTec Electronic GmbH and its authors, however, accept no liability, legal or otherwise, for any errors or the consequences of such errors. We reserve the right to technical modifications.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    The DMX ControlPanel......................36 WaveLab Lite 2.0 ........................44 MusicMatch Jukebox......................45 Cyberlink PowerDVD 3.0 - 6 channel ...................45 Algorithmix Sound Laundry TerraTec Edition...............45 Emagic Logic Fun....................... 46 The HOTSTUFF folder......................47 Practice..........................48 Connecting and recording from a turntable................ 48 How was that again?......................50...

  • Page 4: Welcome

    Welcome! We're pleased that you have chosen a TerraTec SoundSystem and would like to congratulate you on this decision. You've purchased a sophisticated product representing the state of the art of audio technology, and we're convinced that our product will prove extremely useful to you in the coming years and provide you with a great deal of entertainment.
  • Page 5 A broad range of connections. The SoundSystem DMX 6fire24/96 is the result of our many years of experience in the PC audio sector and reflects the continuous evolution of audio and multimedia software for the PC. The SoundSystem DMX 6fire 24/96 offers you a wide range of interconnection options with other audio devices such as hifi surround systems, turntables* MiniDisc or CD players with analog or digital outputs, headphones* and microphones.
  • Page 6 Don't miss the remarks in the margins marked with an exclamation point! They contain information such as summaries of the following sections, notes on important settings or tricks that can make your day-to-day audio work significantly easier. Thanks for your attention—enjoy! ...your TerraTec Team SoundSystem DMX 6fire (English)

  • Page 7: Multiple Audio Cards In A Single System

    Multiple audio cards in a single system. Multiple DMX 6fire SoundSystems can be installed in a single computer and used simultaneously. The SoundSystem can also be used parallel to cards of the TerraTec ® AudioSystem EWS and EWX series; EWS Connect is not available for the internal synchronization of the cards, however.
  • Page 8 Start by making sure that nothing is missing. The SoundSystem DMX 6fire 24/96 package should contain the following items: 1 TerraTec SoundSystem DMX 6fire 24/96 PCI sound card 1 DX6F front module 1 flat conductor cable to connect the PCI card and the front module 1 CD-ROM digital audio connector cable 2 adapter plugs, 6.3 mm stereo jack to 3.5 mm socket...
  • Page 9 Note! Even if you're a seasoned pro, you should still at least skim the “The software.” chapter starting on page 32. The information on drivers and the first sections on the ControlPanel are important for your overall understanding of the system. Thank you. Short and to the point for busy pros.

  • Page 10: The Connectors Of The Dmx 6Fire Pci Card

    The connectors of the DMX 6fire PCI card 1. Analog stereo audio input (3.5 mm jack) 2. Analog stereo audio output “Front” (3.5 mm jack) 3. Analog stereo audio output “Rear” (3.5 mm jack) 4. Analog stereo audio output “Center-LFE”, Left = Center, Right = LFE/Subwoofer (for 3.5 mm mini-jack) 5.

  • Page 11: The Connections Of The Front Module

    Note: The front module as part of SoundSystem DMX 6fire 24/96 or the MXR module as part of SoundSystem DMX 6fire LT cannot be operated in connection with an additional module! Do not connect additional modules to the CN6 or CN10 connectors if you would like to use the module included in the package.

  • Page 12: The Connections Of The Mxr Module

    The connections of the MXR module. 1. Digital audio input (optical, S/PDIF/AC3/DTS) 2. Digital audio output (optical, S/PDIF/AC3/DTS) 3. Mono microphone input (3.5 mm jack) SoundSystem DMX 6fire (English)

  • Page 13: Installation-Step By Step

    Installation—step by step. Safety note. Before opening the case, unplug the AC power cable from the wall socket as well as from the PC. · Switch off your PC and all connected peripheral devices such as your printer and monitor. Leave the AC cable connected for the time being, so that your computer is still grounded.
  • Page 14 Installing the front module. · Find a free 5¼" bay on the front of your PC. If possible, please install the module in a bay below the CD, ZIP drive or other devices due to the dangling cables. It may be necessary to break out the cover plate.

  • Page 15: Installing The Driver Software

    Installing the driver software. The SoundSystem DMX 6fire is currently supplied with drivers for the Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems. The card cannot be used under Windows 95 and Windows NT 4. You should therefore determine which operating system you are using before installing the card.
  • Page 16 Driver installation under Windows 98 SE After the SoundSystem DMX 6fire is installed, Windows 98SE recognizes the card as a new hardware component and displays the following window. Click “Next”. Select here the “Search for the best driver for my device (Recommended)” item and click “Next”. Enter the path <CD>:\Driver_ControlPanel\Driver\ and click “OK.”...
  • Page 17 At the conclusion, click “Finish.” Windows now performs the driver installation and acknowledges the process with several windows that can be viewed. Nothing else should be required at this time. If contrary to all expectations a request should appear for you to perform some action and you are not sure about it, then pressing the Enter key is generally a safe action.
  • Page 18 Installed drivers should look like this. After a successful driver installation, you should verify the correct condition of your Windows 98SE system. The Device Manager presents an overview of installed and recognized hardware components of your computer. The Device Manager can be found on the Control Panel under “System.”...
  • Page 19 Driver installation under Windows Me. After the computer restarts and Windows ME detects the new hardware using the Add New Hardware Wizard, the following window displays. Select “Specify the location of the driver (Advanced)” and click “Next.” Activate the checkbox “Specify a location:,” enter the path <CD>:\Driver_ControlPanel\Driver\ and click “Next.”...
  • Page 20 This screen should be acknowledged by clicking on “Next.” At the conclusion, click “Finish.” After successful driver installation, the additional bundled software can be added easily using the autorun option. <CD>:\autorun.exe Follow the instructions on the screen to install the various bundled software programs. A particular bundled software can also easily be removed from your system.
  • Page 21 Installed drivers should look like this. After a successful driver installation, you should verify the correct condition of your Windows ME system. The Device Manager presents an overview of installed and recognized hardware components of your computer. The Device Manager can be found on the Control Panel under “System”...
  • Page 22 Installation under Windows 2000. After the computer restarts and Windows 2000 detects the new hardware using the Add New Hardware Wizard, the following window displays. Click “Next.” Select the “Search for a suitable driver for my device (Recommended)” item and click “Next.” SoundSystem DMX 6fire (English)
  • Page 23 Activate the checkbox “CD-ROM drives” and click “Next.” This screen should be acknowledged by clicking on “Next.” SoundSystem DMX 6fire (English)
  • Page 24 Continue the installation by clicking on “Yes.” It is possible that such a dialog window appears again in the course of the installation. If this is the case, simply click “Yes.” Windows now performs the driver installation and acknowledges the process with several windows that can be viewed.
  • Page 25 Installed drivers should look like this. After a successful driver installation, you should verify the correct condition of your Windows 2000 system. The Device Manager presents an overview of installed and recognized hardware components of your computer. The Device Manager can be found on the Control Panel under “System”...
  • Page 26 Multimedia settings. Finally, check your system's “Multimedia” settings and ensure that the playback of audio data via the Windows Wave Mapper is correctly set up. Open the “Multimedia Properties” (“Control Panel” > “Multimedia”) and select “AUDIO”. The output via the Wave Mapper is preferable for many programs and for the output of Windows system sounds.

  • Page 27: The Connections And Their Uses

    The connections and their uses. Now that you have successfully installed your new sound card, we come to the most important part—connecting external devices and configuring the software. Safety note. When connecting analog devices, ensure that the power is off to protect your speakers and your hearing from sudden peaks.
  • Page 28 Another note: the output for the front speakers (F) is switched in parallel to the analog and (usually) digital stereo output pairs, as well as the headphone output on the front module. More about that later. What remains is the blue socket (IN) on the slot plate—one of the card's many audio inputs. A signal applied to this input can later be selected for recording in the DMX ControlPanel.
  • Page 29 nevertheless, please ensure that it generates a minimum output voltage of 2-3 mV (please refer to the documentation of the pickup system). Tip: to eliminate AC hum, connect the ground wire of the turntable to the case of your PC. Simply connect it to one of the retaining screws of the case's cover.
  • Page 30 The front module also contains an expansion socket: the connector with 26 small pins is designed for the wavetable modules that you may remember from “way back when”. TerraTec had a number of these supplementary modules in its product range under the “WaveSystem”...
  • Page 31 The DMX 6fire LT MXR module. Digital optical An optical fiber cable (optical waveguide) is used here to connect digital equipment (many MiniDisc players use this connection type). More detailed information can be found starting on page 52. Mic In This is the microphone input of the SoundSystem DMX 6fire LT.

  • Page 32: The Software

    The software. Your TerraTec Team spared virtually no expense and left no mountains unmoved to present you a truly stunning software package. It contains programs with which you can: · set up and control the SoundSystem DMX 6fire, · listen to all major (and a couple of minor) audio file formats, ·...

  • Page 33: The Drivers

    The drivers. The SoundSystem DMX 6fire features a range of drivers for a variety of applications. The drivers support all bit rates between 8 and 32 bits with all common sample rates between 8 and 96 kHz. As a rule, the sample rates are not “interpolated”. In other words, the DMX 6fire always automatically sets itself to the sample rate with which an application is recording or playing back.
  • Page 34 Redmond-based software manufacturer which also involves a number of innovations in the audio sector. For example, the drivers are able to play back audio data streams from multiple applications (MME and/or DirectSound) in parallel (multi-client, a “luxury” that faithful TerraTec customers have enjoyed since 1997). SoundSystem DMX 6fire (English)
  • Page 35 WDM sample rate (SR) interpolation. The multi-client capability of the WDM architecture also permits the simultaneous playback of multiple audio data streams with differing sample rates. The sample frequency used for all data streams is oriented towards the file with the highest sample frequency. All additional data streams played back—still during the runtime of the first file—are interpolated accordingly and their tone pitch remains unaffected.

  • Page 36: The Dmx Controlpanel

    The DMX ControlPanel. The DMX ControlPanel is—next to the drivers—by far the most important piece of software in the package. Here you can configure your DMX 6fire to suit any given situation, adjust sensitivities, reduce volume levels, and much more. On the mixer side you can adjust sensitivities and levels, toggle the phono filtering and select a recording source.
  • Page 37 Mixer page. Let's have a closer look at the five channels. From top to bottom, you'll see the labels CD1/2, Line In, Phono /Mic In, Digital In and Wave Play—so far so good. The master area, which is identical on each page, is on the right. More about it later. The three “analog”...
  • Page 38 Channel 2 Front Applies the analog Line In/Tape input of the front module to the channel. This is indicated by the associated LED on the Line In front module. Rear Applies the analog Line input on the slot plat of the PCI card to the channel.
  • Page 39 You thus have the option of applying custom filters (when restoring shellac recordings, for example) with special editing software that supports them. So much for the first window. Now let's have a look at the multichannel settings. Surround page. The Surround controls the volume of up to 6 audio channels for multichannel playback, as used in DVD audio, for example.
  • Page 40 The Settings page for the configuration of drivers, digital interfaces/filters and the color settings of the ControlPanel. The Master Clock. Here we're dealing with the sample rate used by your SoundSystem DMX 6fire. This is— depending on the application—a very important point, as the card can be (and in some cases, must be) controlled by an external signal (from a MiniDisc recorder, for example), or it can specify a rate for itself internally and can share this signal via the digital interfaces with other devices being used for recording.
  • Page 41 DMA Buffer Size (DMA Buffer Transfer Latency). In some programs you will not only be confronted with the choice of an audio driver, but also with the selection of a so-called buffer size. The underlying functionality is also relevant for topics such as ASIO (this has its own dialog).
  • Page 42 Mix sends the complete signal of the ControlPanel—including all relative levels—to the S/PDIF output. In other words, the same signal will be available at the digital output as at the analog output (Front). Digital In sends the signal applied to the digital input directly to the digital output without losses.
  • Page 43 The Information window …will display information on the audio drivers and system settings. These details can be useful when contacting TerraTec support. The mixer icon appears in the Windows system tray (in the lower right corner, next to the clock) whenever the ControlPanel has been loaded. Right-clicking the icon offers direct access to a number of functions that are also available from the Panel itself—please see the sections...

  • Page 44: Wavelab Lite 2.0

    WaveLab Lite 2.0 WaveLab, Steinberg's sample editor, has received many awards and is especially suitable for recording and editing large audio files. Even recordings in 24-bit/96 kHz format are no problem for the application. It's now possible to make genuine 24-bit recordings on a WDM driver system thanks to the support of the DMX 6fire.

  • Page 45: Musicmatch Jukebox

    :-) The MusicMatch Jukebox is much more, however—and that's why it's included in the TerraTec package: in addition to playing a variety of audio file formats, the program supports simple, digital ripping of audio CDs.

  • Page 46: Emagic Logic Fun

    MicroLogic using the Logic Audio Device Setup Manager (this is particularly useful when using multiple DMX 6fire 24/96 or other TerraTec cards with EWS/EWX technology in a single computer). For a detailed description of the application, please see the online documentation.

  • Page 47: The Hotstuff Folder

    The HOTSTUFF folder. We've put together quite a collection of additional programs, tools and files on the SoundSystem DMX 6fire CD-ROM. This folder is definitely worth a closer look. Many of the programs in the folder are shareware. Please support the shareware principle and pay the authors for the programs you enjoy and use regularly.

  • Page 48: Practice

    DMX front module, while the system supports RIAA- compliant signal filtering. We've also included Algorithmix Sound Laundry TerraTec Edition in the DMX 6fire 24/96 package, a professional application for the restoration of “dusty”...
  • Page 49 WaveLab 2.0 Lite. This application can also be used to edit signals that have already been recorded. You can then use Sound Laundry TerraTec Edition, which is also included in the package, to easily remove noise such as clicks or hiss and monitor the results in real time.

  • Page 50: How Was That Again

    How was that again? The audio signal is stored on a record as a pattern in the record's groove. This pattern is picked up mechanically by the turntable's stylus, which converts the “audio data” pressed into the vinyl into a weak electrical signal. Differences between pickup systems: Moving Coil (MC) and Moving Magnet (MM or MD for magnetodynamic).

  • Page 51: Recording

    WaveLab Lite, you will probably want to edit them at the digital level. “Sound Laundry TerraTec Edition” is included in the software package of the sound card. It's a powerful tool for the restoration of old records, yet it's intuitive and easy to use. If you'd like to use a different application to edit your recording, it should include at least the following functions: de-clicking, de-cracking, and de-noising.

  • Page 52: The Digital Interfaces Of The Dmx 6Fire

    The digital interfaces of the DMX 6fire. Devices that send or receive the S/PDIF protocol can be connected to the optical and coaxial digital interfaces of the DMX 6fire. These include DAT and MiniDisc recorders, for example. The interface supports the bit-true transfer of digital signals in all relevant resolutions. In addition, it supports raw data streams such as those used by Dolby's AC3.
  • Page 53 Copyright adds a copy-protection ID to the signal or filters it out when deactivating copy protection. This function sets the so-called “copy protection bit” which ensures that no digital copies can be made of the signal. Original activates the so-called “generation bit”, permitting exactly one digital copy to be made.

  • Page 54: Stuff Worth Knowing

    Stuff worth knowing. Digital cables. Even when transmitting audio data via optical fibers, a few, usually inaudible, errors may occur. You should therefore be sure to use high-quality cables that are not too long: flexible plastic cables should have a maximum length of 1.5 m, the less-flexible glass fiber cables may be up to 5 m long.

  • Page 55: Appendix

    Appendix. FAQ—frequently asked questions and their answers. An FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for initial problem-solving can be found on the installation CD and on the Internet at www.terratec.net/ttus/support.htm. SoundSystem DMX 6fire (English)

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