If you are having problems receiving a digital signal at the Multi!Wav board, here are some things to try:
- Insure that the settings for digital I/O format are setup correctly in your DriverLink and (for PRO/PRO18 only) on the DIP switch accessible on the back of the Multi!Wav card. Also make sure your DAT machine or other converter is set for the correct digital format, since some DAT machines, like the 3800, are selectable for AES or S/PDIF. If the digital connections on your gear are RCA jacks, then the signal is most likely S/PDIF. XLR connections are most frequently used for AES/EBU.
Make sure that your cables are working and correctly wired. Sometimes brand new cables can be intermittent. Search under CABLES in your Multi!Wav help file for information on the correct cables and connections for the various formats.
If you have a Multi!Wav PRO18 or PRO24 Series, try monitoring directly through the card without recording. Make sure all of the above are set correctly. Connect the analog output of the card to your mixer and/or amplifier. On the OPTIONS tab of DriverLink select MONITOR INPUT SOURCE and ENABLE ANALOG OUTPUT.Top of this page
- Try sending a digital signal to the Multi!Wav from a different source, if possible, for test purposes.
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- Loop an appropriate cable (whatever format you are using) from the output to the input of the Multi!Wav card.
On the OPTIONS tab of DriverLink, check WARN ON FREQUENCY MISMATCH. Make sure the input and output format settings on the I/O page are set for the type of cable you are looping. From the SPECIAL or ADVANCED tab launch BitWav.
Either generate a test WAV using the MAKE A FILE function of BitWav or load an existing 32, 44.1, or 48kHz 16 bit WAV file from your hard drive into the PLAYBACK FILE NAME box of BitWav. Make sure that both the playback and record devices are set to Multi!Wav. ..Select a name, such as Test or Temp, for the record file, insuring only that it is different than the playback file name. Make sure that record and play files match in sample and bit rate.
You should now be able to press REC & PLAY to record a new copy of the play file. If you receive any error messages at this point, check to insure that your sample rates and cables are as noted above. If after insuring that all is correct you still receive a MULTI!WAV IS RECEIVING NO INPUT SIGNAL message, proceed to the DMA settings section below.
After a few moments, press stop to halt the recording. You should now be able to select the newly recorded file as your play back file to verify the recording worked and was clean.
This test verifies that the digital inputs and outputs of your Multi!Wav Digital card are functioning properly!Top of this page
- DMA settings. It is possible that one of the 16 bit DMA channels (5, 6, or 7) used by your Multi!Wav may not be functioning properly. Two DMA channels are needed to simultaneously record one file and play another, but only one DMA channel for record or play, even when monitoring through the Multi!Wav.
To test the DMA, go to the HARDWARE tab of DriverLink and select only ONE DMA channel, either 5, 6, or 7. Using BitWav, try playing an existing or generated (see above) file or your DAT or external converter. If successful, you may have found your problem. Try each of the DMAs individually to isolate if there is a defect or conflict on any of them.
A defective DMA may result in no output at all. A conflict with another device will most times cause a lockup of your system, requiring a reset. In this case, make sure, as soon as windows has restarted, to open the DriverLink and deselect the conflicting DMA, if still selected, to prevent another lockup.
If you find a defective DMA, it could be due to a driver/software problem with your system or even a motherboard defect. This is not a Multi!Wav defect. You will need to check or have your system checked further.
In the mean time, you can use any functioning channels.Top of this page
- Video driver interference can cause a number of problems with real time audio playback.
If you have not already, you should try reducing your screen color bit depth to 256 colors. You might also try Control Panel/ System/ Performance/Graphics and reduce "Hardware Acceleration" by a click or two.
If that doesn't clear up the problem, right click on your screen, select "properties", then "settings" and "Change display type". On the "adapter type" select "change" and "show all devices". Under "manufacturers" scroll up to standard display types and select a compatible VGA or SVGA mode. You will need to restart.
This might clean up the audio, though your video performance will suffer. Until your video card manufacturer provides a fix for the driver your only answer is to get a different video card, or operate at the reduced settings.
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