Echo Audio MiaMIDI Owner's Manual

LAYLA24 LAYLALapTopGINA24 MIA™ MIAMIDI™ Owner’s Manual Version 3.1.1 for Windows

Introduction – all products What You Should Have Received in the Box When you opened the box, you should have found the following:  A PCI card

100 Earlier tube-based audio equipment used standardized input and output impedances of 600 ohms, so a 0dBm signal was produced with a voltage of .77

101 both signals and the input amplifier will subtract the noise on the minus input from the noise on the plus input. If the input amplifier is pe

102 Dynamic Range Dynamic range represents the difference between the maximum signal that can be recorded and the “noise floor”, or level of noise w

103 Appendix F: Specifications Gina24 - Audio Performance Analog Inputs (x2 balanced TRS):  Frequency Response: 10Hz – 22kHz, ±0.25dB  Dynamic R

104 Gina24 - Hardware  Host Interface: PCI bus mastering card  Two balanced ¼” analog inputs with precision 24-bit 128x oversampling analog-to-dig

105 Layla24 - Audio Performance Analog Inputs (x8 balanced TRS):  Frequency Response: 10Hz – 22kHz, ±0.25dB  Dynamic Range: 110dB A-weighted  TH

106 Layla24 - Hardware  Host Interface: PCI bus mastering card  Eight balanced ¼” analog inputs with precision 24-bit 128x oversampling analog-to-

107 Mia and MiaMIDI - Audio Performance Analog Inputs (x2 balanced TRS):  Frequency Response: 10Hz – 22kHz, ±0.5dB  Dynamic Range: 106dB A-weigh

108 Mia and MiaMIDI - Hardware  Host Interface: PCI bus card  PCI bus master interface  Two balanced ¼” analog inputs with precision 24-bit 64x o

109 + +4dBu/–10dBV switch... 51, 53 A ADAT... 19, 23, 41, 56 adjusting record and playback levels...

Introduction – all products System Requirements In order to use Layla24, Gina24, Mia or MiaMIDI you’ll need the following:  A desktop computer

110 professional output setting 60, 72, 81 R rack-mount box, installing ... 14, 16 S S/PDIF.19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 41, 56, 69, 82 S/PDIF cabling...

Installation – all products Installation Complete installation consists of disabling Windows system sounds, deciding which Echo driver you are go

Installation – all products 2) You are using an audio program that uses an ASIO driver. In general, the WDM ASIO driver provides higher performa

Installation – all products or, more simply, by touching your bare hand to the metal casing of the computer’s power supply. (For this latter metho

Installation – all products of the cable to the connector on the rear of the interface labeled computer and fasten the cable securely with the scr

Installation – all products Installing the CardBus Adapter for Laptop Computers Once you have verified that there are no problems with your syst

Installation – all products Note: this version of the WDM driver has not been digitally signed by Microsoft; for Windows 2000 and XP, you will nee

Audio connections – Layla24 Connecting to Layla24’s Rack-mount Audio Interface The back panel of Layla24’s rack-mount audio interface contains a

Audio connections – Layla24 The Computer Connector Next to the analog inputs and outputs is a connector labeled COMPUTER. This connector is known

Important Safety Instructions 1. Read Instructions - Be sure to read all of the safety and operating instructions before operating this product. 2

Audio connections – Layla24 S/PDIF Next to the ADAT connectors is a pair of connectors labeled S/PDIF, IN and OUT. These S/PDIF connectors are u

Audio connections – Layla24 MIDI The last set of connections to the Layla24 interface is for MIDI. The MIDI ports can be used for receiving MIDI

Audio connections – Gina24 Connecting to Gina24’s Audio Interface The front and back panels of Gina24’s audio interface contain a wide variety of

Audio connections – Gina24 A cable was supplied with your Gina24 for this purpose. This custom made cable is manufactured to certain specificati

Audio connections – Gina24 S/PDIF Next to the ADAT connectors is a pair of connectors labeled S/PDIF, IN and OUT. These S/PDIF connectors are us

Audio connections – Mia 25 Audio connections – Mia Connecting to Mia Analog Inputs and Outputs Mia has two analog outputs (OUT1 and OUT

Audio Connections – Mia When connecting devices to the S/PDIF jacks on Mia, the use of standard analog RCA audio cables is not recommended. For r

Audio Connections – MiaMIDI Connecting to MiaMIDI 27 Audio Connections – MiaMIDI Analog Inputs and Outputs MiaMIDI has two analog ou

Audio Connections – MiaMIDI MIDI-S/PDIF Breakout Cable To connect MIDI or S/PDIF signals to MiaMIDI, you will need to first connect the breakout

Audio Software – Gina24 and Layla24 29 Using Audio Software Gina24 and Layla24 To audio software, the Echo hardware appears as a group of stereo

11. Damage Requiring Service - Unplug this unit and refer it to a qualified service technician when any of the following occur: a) Objects have fal

Audio Software – Gina24 and Layla24 30 And for recording: Win98/WinMe (VxD) Win2000/WinXP (WDM) Layla24 1/2 Analog

Audio Software – Gina24 and Layla24 31 The WDM drivers work a little differently, depending on the current digital mode. Gina24 and Layla24 have

Using Audio Software – Mia and MiaMIDI 32 Mia and MiaMIDI To audio software, the Mia and MiaMIDI hardware appears as a group of stereo wave de

Virtual outputs – Mia and MiaMIDI 33 Virtual Outputs - Mia and MiaMIDI Most audio cards with a pair of analog inputs and outputs will appear to

WDM console – all products 34 Console3 (WDM) This section of the manual applies only if you installed the WDM drivers. A “virtual control su

WDM console – all products 35 that output bus. Audio played through the selected channels by an application, any analog input, and any digita

WDM console – all products 36 Bus select The bus select panel is the area outlined in green. Five different output busses are shown here: fo

WDM console – all products 37 on the other channel. Also, ganging the faders ties them together so they will maintain their relative placemen

WDM console – all products 38 Digital Inputs The controls for the digital inputs are outlined in light blue and have the label “Digital in

WDM console – all products 39 Adjusting Playback Volume Output volume adjustments are made in the digital domain. When you lower a volume fad

Sending in your registration card – or registering online at http://www.echoaudio.com/support/register.php - allows us to register key information s

WDM console – all products 40 Synchronizing Multiple Devices Layla24, Gina24, Mia, and MiaMIDI are designed to work alongside other audio equ

WDM console – all products 41 S/PDIF – The Sony/Phillips Digital Interchange Format is a serial bit-stream that has a clock signal embedded i

WDM console – all products 42 Now let’s take a look at some sample configurations and how you might set them up from a synchronization standpo

WDM console – all products 43 Console Settings Clicking the Settings button above the playback strips shows a dialog box for altering console

WDM console – all products 44 Locking the sample rate Locking the sample rate can be very important, since Windows will frequently try to set

WDM console – all products 45 Console Sessions Console settings can be saved as a console session to be reloaded later. To save a console se

WDM console – all products 46 Digital I/O This lets you set the format of your S/PDIF outputs. Your Echo card can transmit digital infor

WDM console – all products 47 GSIF This window allows you to set the latency of GigaStudio in terms of samples. Select the value here that

WDM console – all products 48 About This displays the console version and driver version numbers. We feel that this is the single most exci

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 49 VxD Console – Gina24 and Layla24 This section of the manual only applies if you installed the VxD driver

©2003 by Echo Digital Audio Corporation 6450 Via Real Suite 1 Carpinteria, CA 93013 Echo®, Layla®24, L

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 50 The console functions are grouped into three areas: inputs (in the upper left corner), monitors (direct

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 51 Console Controls Let’s take a look at the control surface. The input control area is located in the upp

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 52 Instead of level meters, each monitor control has a series of numbered buttons. These buttons allow you t

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 53 Remember that all of the monitor controls remain in effect even when they’re not displayed. The degree o

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 54 Setting Clock Sources and Destinations At the very bottom of the Console there are buttons that allow yo

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 55 Synchronizing Multiple Devices Layla24, Gina24, Mia and Mia MIDI are designed to work alongside other au

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 56 Let’s take a brief look at the various synchronization types. Word Clock – This is a synchronization si

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 57 Note: To preserve the high audio quality of Layla24/Gina24’s converters it is best to use the Internal i

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 58 The File Menu At the top left of the Console window you will find the File menu. By selecting the File m

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 59 The Preferences Page The Preferences Page is accessible through the Console File menu. Digital I/O -

INTRODUCTION...9 WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IN TH

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 60 We have provided a software switch in the driver that allows you to select which format the Echo hardware

VxD console – Gina24 and Layla24 61 Digital I/O - Dither Input In the top right is a checkbox labeled Dither Input. This checkbox allows you

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 62 VxD Console – Mia and Mia MIDI This section only applies if you installed the VxD drivers and are using Mi

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 63 The console functions are grouped into three areas: inputs and monitors (on the left), virtual output mixi

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 64 Input Controls Let’s take a look at the control surface. The input control area is located in the upper lef

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 65 Notice that the monitor controls are labeled at bottom indicating which input is being monitored and which

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 66 Virtual Output Controls The middle of the console is dedicated to the controls for virtual output channel

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 67 Output Controls The right hand side of the console is dedicated to the controls for the “physical” analog a

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 68 Setting Clock Sources and Output Controls At the very bottom of the Console there are buttons that allow y

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 69 independently of each other. This scenario may be fine for some musical applications; however, it is not app

CONSOLE CONTROLS...51 MONITOR CONTROLS ...

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 70 The File Menu At the top left of the Console window you will find the File menu. By selecting the File menu

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 71 The Preferences Page The Preferences Page is accessible through the Console File menu. Digital I/O - Sel

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 72 We have provided a software switch in the Mia/MiaMIDI driver that allows you to select which format Mia/MiaM

VxD console- Mia and MiaMIDI 73 Sample Rate Lock These controls allow you to enable or disable the Sample Rate Lock feature, as well as set

Additional VxD console settings –all products 74 Additional Configuration Settings (VxD Drivers) In addition to those settings that can be

Additional VxD console settings –all products 75 Show console on taskbar The first selection in the General section of the Settings screen

Additional VxD console settings –all products 76 Multi-client audio Multi-client audio lets you use different inputs and outputs on your E

Additional VxD console settings –all products 77 DirectSound/GSIF Settings Click on the DirectSound/GSIF tab. The window will change to lo

Additional VxD console settings –all products 78 DirectSound can only support a limited number of outputs, so if you have several audio de

79 Contacting Echo Customer Service If you experience any trouble with your Echo hardware please go to the support area of our website at www.echoau

APPENDIX D: WDM-WINDOWS DRIVER MODEL FAQ...93 APPENDIX E: AN INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL RECORDING...97 APPENDIX F: SPECI

80 Appendix A: General Troubleshooting Guide Note: For the latest information about software compatibility, please visit our website at www.echoaudi

81 likely to be used in professional recording environments, whereas the consumer mode is commonly implemented on equipment designed for home use in

82 Solution: Although it may seem obvious, the first thing to check is that there is a physical connection between the device generating the clock an

83 Appendix B: Resolving IRQ Conflicts - Windows 98/Me We estimate that 95% of Echo installations will go without a hitchthat Plug-and-Play will p

84 configuring jumpers on the card. Newer Plug-and-Play ISA cards have their interrupts selected by either the computer’s BIOS (the built-in program

85 card to IRQ 9. An interrupt conflict now exists between the SCSI card and the older MIDI card. PCI Cards and Interrupt Conflicts Some plug &

86 find an offending card that was not listed by Device Manager, but is using an interrupt that Windows has assigned to another device. If you don’t

87 Reserving an IRQ within the BIOS – Legacy ISA Other than removing the offending legacy card, the next most effective method is to reserve the IRQ

88 Reserving an IRQ within Windows 98/Me – Legacy ISA Windows 98/Me also allows you to reserve interrupts for legacy use. In most cases this works j

89 Reconfiguring an IRQ within Windows 98/Me - PCI Now that you have identified the offending card and the IRQ in contention, you will want to try t

Introduction – all products Introduction Thank you for choosing Echo Digital Audio. We think you’ll find your Echo product to be an extremely fle

90 Appendix C: Multi-client audio FAQ Q: What is “Multi-client audio”? Multi-client audio is a feature that lets you use different inputs and outp

91 down what application is going to use what input or output. Go through all the applications you plan to use this way, set them all up for the sam

92 driver hides channels from Cubase that are already in use, which greatly simplifies getting multi-client mode to work. . Q: Can I run a Direct So

93 Appendix D: WDM-Windows Driver Model FAQ Please note – for additional WDM driver features not covered in this manual, please refer to the “Read

94 What’s the old way? Here’s a simplified diagram: Audio application  Echo wave driver  Echo kernel mode driver  PCI card So, you can see th

95 The WDM driver now incorporates PureWave mode, which provides 24-bit support for applications that don’t work with WDM drivers. For more informat

96 Q: Why can't I record or play at 24-bit resolution? The short answer is that WDM audio drivers only support 24-bit audio if the applicatio

97 Appendix E: An Introduction to Digital Recording Converting Sound into Numbers In a digital recording system, sound is represented as a series

98 In a 16-bit system, there are 65,535 possible combinations of zeroes and ones, so 65,535 different voltages can be digitally represented. (see fig

99 will result in reduced high frequency reproduction. Your Echo card allows you to sample sound at up to 96,000 times per second. Once the wavef