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Xonar U3 PLUS
Mobile Headphone Amp USB Soundcard
User Guide
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E11105
Second Edition (V2)
November 2015
Copyright © 2015 ASUSTeK Computer Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any
means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written
permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or altered, unless
such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the
product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE),
EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY
DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE,
AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO
RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS
MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or explanation and to the
owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.
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Contents
Notices ......................................................................................................... iv
Safety information ....................................................................................... v
Trademarks .................................................................................................. v
License ......................................................................................................... v
1. Package contents ............................................................................ 1
2. System requirements ...................................................................... 1
3. Specicationssummary ................................................................. 1
4. Card Installation .............................................................................. 3
5. Driver installation ............................................................................ 3
6. Hardware introduction .................................................................... 4
7. Connecting speakers ...................................................................... 5
8. Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center ........................................................ 7
8.1 Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center GUI .................................... 7
8.2 Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center Icon .................................... 9
8.3 Music Main Settings ......................................................... 10
8.4 Mixer/Volume ................................................................... 11
8.5 Effects .............................................................................. 13
8.6 FlexBass .......................................................................... 15
8.7 Karaoke Main Settings ..................................................... 16
8.8 Mixer ................................................................................ 23
8.9 Intensier ......................................................................... 25
9. Troubleshooting and FAQs .......................................................... 26
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Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
•
This device may not cause harmful interference, and
•
This device must accept any interference received including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
•
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
•
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the
Canadian Department of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Australia statement notice
From 1 January 2012 updated warranties apply to all ASUS products, consistent
with the Australian Consumer Law. For the latest product warranty details please
visit http://support.asus.com. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be
excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or
refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable
loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the
goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major
failure.
If you require assistance please call ASUS Customer Service 1300 2787 88 or visit
us at http://support.asus.com
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Safety information
•
Before installing the device on a motherboard, carefully read all the user
guides that came with the package.
•
To prevent electrical shock hazard or short circuits, switch off the power supply
before installing the device on a motherboard or connecting any signal cables
to the device.
•
If the device is broken, do not try to x it by yourself. Contact a qualied service
technician or your retailer.
•
Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected. If you
detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately.
•
To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, sockets, and circuitry.
•
Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in
any area where it may be exposed to moisture.
•
Place the product on a stable surface.
•
If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualied
service technician or your retailer.
This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical
and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local
regulations for disposal of electronic products.
Trademarks
Xonar and ASUS logo are trademarks of ASUSTek Computer Inc. “Dolby”
and “Dolby Digital Live”, “Dolby Pro Logic IIx”, “Dolby Virtual Speaker”, “Dolby
Headphone” are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. EAX and A3D are trademarks
of Creative Technology Ltd. Microsoft, DirectSound3D, and Windows are
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other company and product names may be
trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. ASIO is a
trademark and software of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
License
Dolby Master Studio driver is manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories.
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1. Package contents
Check your ASUS Xonar U3 PLUS external USB audio card package for the
following items:
• ASUS Xonar U3 PLUS external USB audio card
• S/PDIF TOSLINK optical adapter x 1
• USB extension cable x1
• Driver / User Guide CD x 1
• Quick Start Guide x 1
2. System requirements
To ensure a successful installation of the Xonar U3 PLUS external USB audio
card, your computer must meet the following requirements:
• IBM compatible PC with one USB1.1 (or higher) compatible port for the USB
audio device
• Microsoft® Windows® 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 / XP(32/64bit)
• Intel® Pentium® 4 1.4GHz or AMD Athlon 1400 CPU or faster CPU
• 256 MB DRAM system memory
• 60 MB available HDD space for driver installation package
• CD-ROM drive (or DVD-ROM drive) for software installation
• High-quality headphones or powered analog speakers to enjoy the ultra-high
delity sound of the card
3. Specicationssummary
Category Item Description
Audio Controller
and Codec
Bus Interface
I/O Ports
Audio Chipset CMedia CM6510B USB Audio Chip
USB Bus USB 2.0 and 1.0 Full-speed compatible
USB Audio Class USB Audio Device Class v1.0 compatible
Analog Output Jack &
Digital S/PDIF Output
Combo
Built-in Headphone
Amplier
Analog Input Jack: 3.50mm mini shared jack *1 (Line-In/Mic-In)
(continued on the next page)
3.50mm mini analog and digital combo jack*1
(Headphone/Speakers/SPDIF output)
100dB SNR
1.1Vrms full-scale output voltage for 32 ohms
load
>1.7Vrms full-scale output voltage for 150
ohms load
Frequency Response (-3dB/48KHz):
20~20KHz for 32ohms
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Category Item Description
Outlook
Features
LED indicator
Play music. Idle: LED on
Mute: LED off
Operating System Windows® 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 / XP(32/64bit)
Operating System Windows® 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 / XP(32/64bit)
Music Pitch-Shifting, Vocal Cancellation,
Driver Features
Karaoke Functions
and Microphone Echo effects with Stereo
Mix recording (Wave and Mic-in) for online
Karaoke or online DJ applications
FlexBass™
Output Signal-to-Noise
Ratio (A-Weighted):
Professional Bass Management/Enhancement
system
100dB for Line out
Output Total Harmonic
Audio
Performance
Distortion + Noise at
1kHz (A-Weighted):
Frequency Response
(-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz
0.005% (-86dB) for Line out
20Hz to 20kHz
input):
Output/Input Full-Scale
Voltage
1.7Vrms
Headphone Impedance Optimized for 32~150Ω
Accessories
*Specicationsaresubjecttochangewithoutnotice.
S/PDIF optical adaptor x1, USB extension cable x1, Driver CD x1, Quick
Start Guide x1
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4. Card Installation
Connect the USB connector to any USB port on your notebook or PC as the
following drawing shows.
5. Driver installation
After installing the Xonar U3 PLUS external USB audio card on your computer,
you need to install the device driver that enables the Xonar U3 PLUS audio card to
work with Windows operating system.
The version and content of the support CD are subject to change without notice.
To install the device driver:
1. Insert the ASUS Xonar U3 PLUS support CD into your optical drive.
If Autorun is enabled, the ASUS Xonar Card Driver screen appears
automatically. Go to step 4. If Autorun is not enabled in your computer,
perform step 2.
2. Click My Computer on your desktop and double-click the optical drive icon.
3. Double-click the setup.exe icon located on the optical drive.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. Read the
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT in the process and make sure that you
understand and accept it before continuing the installation.
5. When the installation nishes, you may be prompted to restart your
computer. You can choose to restart the computer later if desired.
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6. Hardware introduction
Xonar U3 PLUS external USB audio card layout
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2
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1. Light indicator
Description Status
Play music (not Mute) LED on
Play music (Mute) LED off
Idle (not Mute) LED on
Idle (Mute) LED off
2. Headphone & S/PDIF-Out port
3. Mic & Line-in port
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7. Connecting speakers
For Analog Spakers
2 Speakers
For Digital Speakers
SPDIF Out
Plug the optical TOSLINK adapter into the S/PDIF-Out port. Then, connect your
decoder’s S/PDIF In port to the optical adapter with a TOSLINK optical cable.
The TOSLINK optical cable is purchased separately.
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Connecting headphone / microphone
Connecting Line-In audio sources
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8. Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center
8.1 Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center GUI
The screenshots in this section are for reference only. The actual GUI may
differ.
1. After driver installation is complete and your computer has been rebooted,
you will nd the Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center’s icon in the system tray on
the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Double click this icon to open the
Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center utility.
If the icon does not appear on the system tray, launch the Xonar U3 PLUS
Audio Center from the Windows desktop by clicking Start > All Programs >
ASUS Xonar U3 PLUS > Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center.
2. The Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center is the Graphical User Interface (GUI) for
the Xonar U3 PLUS driver. You can control the functions and features of the
Xonar U3 PLUS driver on the Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center. The following
picture shows a basic overview of the Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center. The
following sections of this user guide will describe its functions in more detail.
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No Item Description
1 Display Area
This display area shows the 10-band signal meter, volume
level, status of preset, equalizer, and signal output.*
* This area displays information, but is not used to change
settings.
2 Menu Open/Close
Clicking this button will reveal the conguration settings.
Clicking it again will move the display area back to its original
position and hide the conguration area.
3 Master Volume
This knob controls the master playback volume. Turn to
change the volume level.
4 SVN Button
Click this button to enable the “Smart Volume Normalization”
feature for consistent volume levels from all playback
sources. It will display a blue light when enabled.
5 Mute Button
Click this button to mute audio playback. It will display a red
light when playback is muted.
6 Settings Tab
Two tabs are available for quick access to Music Playback
and Karaoke features.
7 Settings Menu Panel
This panel provides access to audio settings, including Main
Settings, Mixer/Volume, Effects, FlexBass, and Enhancer.
To start using the Karaoke features of the Xonar U3 PLUS, plug in your
microphone and click the Karaoke tab in the Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center.
Click the Mixer option and select “microphone”.
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8.2 Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center Icon
2
3
4
5
6
No Item Description
1 Information icon
2 Restore
3 About Xonar U3 Plus
Audio Center
4 Edit Hot Key
5 Master Preset
6 Exit
Click this icon to display driver options. Double-click the icon
to launch the Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center.
Click to restore Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center application
window.
Click to nd out more about Audio Center version.
Click to edit shortcut keys for volume control, master presets,
sampling rate, and analog out.
Click to apply a master preset.
Click to exit.
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8.3 Music Main Settings
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2
3
4
No Item Description
1 Audio Channel
2 Sample Rate
3 Analog Out
4 S/PDIF Output
The audio channel refers to the available speaker channels
that can be used to mix sounds.
The sample rate determines the number of audio samples
per second that the Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC) and
S/PDIF digital interface will output.
The analog out setting denes your actual speaker and
headphone setting.
S/PDIF output enables a single digital connection to carry
high quality audio from your PC to digital speakers and AV
receivers via PCM.*
* PCM - Pulse Code Modulation is a typical raw audio data
format.
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8.4 Mixer/Volume
The mixer page is designed to control the volume for playback and recording
on the Xonar U3 PLUS. The Xonar U3 PLUS also provides a high-quality digital
monitoring function for playing the recorded audio from the speakers.
8.4.1 Playback Volume
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4
3
2
No Item Description
1 Playback Volume Tab
2 Source/Path Name
3 Mute/Unmute button
4 Volume Slider
5 Reset
Click this button to show the playback volume page.
Left and Right volume controls for each speaker/channel.
Click this button to mute or unmute the audio channel.
Drag this slider down to decrease the volume; drag it up
to increase the volume. The tool-tip displays percentage
increments.
Click to reset all volume controls to the default settings.
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8.4.2 Recording/Monitoring Volume
2
3
4
5
No Item Description
1 Recording Volume
Tab
2 Recording volume
slider
Click this button to show the recording volume page.
Drag this slider down to decrease the recording volume; drag
up to increase the recording volume. The tool-tip displays
percentage increments.
3 Recording Selector
button
Click this button to select the path/source you are going to
record. The recording function on Windows is a one-path
selector. Only one default recording source can be used at a
time. You may have to restart the recorder application if you
switch to a different source.*
Note: On Windows Vista and later OS, some application
programs may allow you to select the recording device/
path in the recording programs themselves.
4 Monitoring button
Click this button to monitor and loopback recording audio to
output speakers. The recording volume will affect monitoring
signals from speaker output. The audio will be mixed into
the streams from your PC and all digital audio effects will be
applied to both the source and the output.
5 Source/Path Name
Displays the source name for each volume control slider:
Line-In: Recording from Line-In jack for external audio
MIC: Recording from MIC rear panel jack.
6 Reset
Click to reset all volume controls to the default settings.
1
devices.
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8.5 Effects
8.5.1 Environment Effects
Environment effects can be used to create realistic listening experiences that
mimic different environments. There are 27 available environment options that be
can be applied to music and other 2D sound sources.
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2
3
No Item Description
1 Default environments
2 More options
3 Environment size
There are four default environments available: Bathroom,
Concert hall, Underwater, and Music Pub.
Clicking this button will apply the environment effect selected
from the pull-down menu. 21 additional options are available
in this menu.
Three size settings are available for each environment:
Large, Medium, and Small.
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8.5.2 10-Band Equalizer
The equalizer can modify the audio output for different frequencies and can be
used to compensate for deciencies in your speakers/sound system. You can
create custom settings in addition to the 12 default patterns available.
3
1
2
No Item Description
1 Default equalizer
options
2 UserDened
3 Equalizer slider
4 Save name
5 Add / save
6 Delete
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There are 12 available equalizer patterns. Click an item to
apply a pattern to audio playback.
You can click this button to apply a selected User Dened
setting.
Adjusts the gain for each band (30~16KHz)
Type a name for your own “User Dened” equalizer setting
in the text box.
Click the “+” button to add the dened parameters to the
User Dened list as a preset.
Click the “–” button to delete a saved preset from the User
Dened list.
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8.6 FlexBass
FlexBass is an advanced bass management and enhancement mechanism that
allows you to select each satellite speaker’s type for optimal sound performance.
It comes with an adjustable crossover frequency for the boundary of the bass
signals. FlexBass will lter out the bass signals from small speaker channels and
redirect them to the subwoofer or large speakers.
Standard speakers that cannot produce low frequencies are considered “Small”
while wide-band speakers that can product low frequencies are categorized as
“Large.”
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1
2
3
No Item Description
1 On/Off
2 Small/Large speaker
option
3. Picture for Small/
Large speaker
Click this button to disable or enable all FlexBass functions.
Select the speaker type connected to the Xonar U3 PLUS.
If your speaker type cannot handle low-frequency signals
(bass), select “Small” speaker type. Xonar U3 PLUS will
lter out the bass signals and send them to the subwoofer
channel. If the speakers support full-range signals, you can
select the “Large” speaker type.*
*In most cases, low-cost desktop PC 2-channel speakers
are small-type speakers. Refer to speaker’s specications
or consult your speaker vendor to identify correct speaker
type. However, common 2.1 speakers with a subwoofer
should be categorized as large speakers because the
subwoofer can redirect the bass signals inside the two
channels to the subwoofer speaker automatically.
Small/large speakers are identied by their colors:
Orange: large speakers
Green: small speakers
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No Item Description
4 LFE Crossover
Frequency
Adjusts the cut-off frequency (50~250Hz) for LFE (LowFrequency Effects) signals. Xonar U3 PLUS will lter out
bass signals below the crossover frequency from small
speaker channels and forward them to the subwoofer.
Higher crossover frequency values would result in reduced
bass signals.
8.7 Karaoke Main Settings
To start using the Karaoke features of the Xonar U3 PLUS, plug in your
microphone and click the Karaoke tab in the Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center.
Click the Mixer option and select “microphone”.
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1
4
3
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No Item Description
1 Master Preset
The master preset lists multiple combinations of presets such
as EQ, Compressor, Reverb, and so on. Click this dropdown
box to select, save, or edit a master preset.
2 Select all/Unselect all
3 Preset Checkbox
Click this checkbox to select all or unselect all presets.
Click desired checkbox to apply a sound effect to playback
audio.
4 Preset
Click dropdown box to select presets or switch to Manual
Mode.
5 Advanced Setting
Click this button to access advanced controls and customize
presets.
6 Bypass
Click this button to temporarily disable all sound effects to
compare audio before and after sound effects are applied.
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8.7.1 Advanced Settings
1
2
No Item Description
1 Mix with Wave On
2 Software Monitoring
(StereoMix)
Select check box if you intend to record music audio with
your voice.
Select check box to record the vocal only and it’s possible
to hear the background music.
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8.7.2 Master Preset
The Master Preset is a quick way to save your preset combinations.
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2
3
No Item Description
1 Master Preset
2 Save as
3 Edit Preset
Click dropdown box to select, save, or edit a master preset.
Select a combination of presets and click Save as to create a
new master preset. You may also choose to adjust settings
for the current master preset.
Click edit to delete, rename, import, or export master preset.
8.7.3 HPF/LPF
High Pass Filter affects frequency ranges below the set cutoff frequency. Low
Pass Filter applies to frequency ranges above the set cutoff frequency.
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2
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No Item Description
1 Preset
Click dropdown box to view current preset parameters
or select Manual Mode to change parameters under the
Advanced Settings Panel.
2 Center Frequency
This slider determines cutoff frequency. Drag the slider or
input specic values in the text box.
8.7.4 Ducking
The DJ Mix effect (Ducking) conveniently gets music to duck under vocals. Create
your own podcast professionally.
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2
3
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5
No Item Description
1 Ratio (Music vs Mic)
2 Threshold
3 Attack Time
4 Release Time
5 Fading Time
The ratio that the background music automatically decreases
when the microphone detects vocal.
Adjust this setting (in dB) as to when ducking function starts.
The time that the ducking function starts after the
microphone detects vocal.
The time that the volume of the background music returns to
normal when the microphone stops detecting vocal.
Adjusts the time that the background music will fade in or
out.
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8.7.5 EQ
1
2
No Item Description
1 Preset
2 Frequency Band
Click the dropdown box to view current preset parameters
or select Manual Mode to change parameters under the
Advanced Settings Panel.
Drag the slider up or down to change the gain of each
frequency band.
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8.7.6 Reverb
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3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
No Item Description
1 Preset
2 Reverb
3 Reverb Delay
4 Reections
5 ReectionsDelay
6 Decay Time
7 Decay Ratio
8 HF Reference
9 Diffusion
10 Density
11 Room
Click the dropdown box to view current preset parameters
or select Manual Mode to change parameters under the
Advanced Settings Panel.
Intensity level of late reverbation
Time limit between early reection and late reverbation
Intensity level of early reection
Delay time of rst reection
Reverbation decay time at low frequencies
Ratio of high frequency delay time relative to low frequency
delay time
High frequency threshold reference point
Echo density in late reverbation decay. High diffusion
represents regular density with an evenly spread out signal.
Low diffusion represents irregular and grainy sound.
Modal density in late reverbation decay. High density
represents more natural sounding timber. Low density
represents more hollow or “colored” space like the bathroom.
Intensity level for room effect
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No Item Description
12 Room HF
Attenuation at high frequencies relative to intensity and low
frequencies.
13 Room Rolloff Factor
Intensity of room effect adjusted by distance.
8.8 Mixer
8.8.1 Playback Volume
1
2
3
4
No Item Description
1 Playback Volume Tab
2 Volume Slider
Click this button to show the playback volume page
Drag this slider down to decrease the volume; drag it up
to increase the volume. The tool-tip displays percentage
increments.
3 Mute/Unmute button
4 Source/Path Name
5 Reset
Click this button to mute or unmute the audio channel.
Left and Right volume controls for each speaker/channel
Resets all volume controls to the default settings.
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8.8.2 Recording/Monitoring Volume
1
2
3
4
No Item Description
1 Recording Volume
Tab
2 Recording volume
slider
Click this button to show the recording volume page.
Drag this slider down to decrease the recording volume; drag
up to increase the recording volume. The tool-tip displays the
percentage increments.
3 Recording Selector
button
Click this button to select the path/source you are going to
record. The recording function on Windows is a one-path
selector. Only one default recording source can be used at
a time. You may have to restart the recorder program if you
switch to a different source.*
Note: On Windows Vista and later OS, some application
programs may allow you to select the recording device/
path in the recording programs themselves.
4 Monitoring button
Click this button to monitor and loopback recording audio to
output speakers. The recording volume will affect monitoring
signals from speaker output. The audio will be mixed into
the streams from your PC and all DGP effects will be applied
to both the source and the output.
5 Reset
Click to reset all volume controls to the default settings.
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8.9 Intensier
The Xonar U3 PLUS provides powerful features for karaoke, including KeyShifting and Vocal Cancellation. Key-Shifting can change the pitch of the karaoke
background music. Vocal Cancellation can reduce the original vocals in songs
while retaining the music and symphony for karaoke.
4
1
2
3
No Item Description
1 On/Off
2 Key-Shifting
3 Vocal Cancellation
4 Reset
Click this button to disable or enable all functions on this
page.
This checkbox is used to enable or disable key shifting for
music playback. This feature can adjust the pitch from 4
semitones below to 4 semitones above the audio level.
This checkbox is used to enable or disable the vocal
cancellation function. Voice cancellation levels can be
adjusted from 0 to +100. A value of +100 will eliminate most
original vocals. Default values are set to 50.
Reset all settings to default.
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9. Troubleshooting and FAQs
[Troubleshooting]
The audio card driver could not be installed on my PC.
Instructions:
1. Make sure that you have properly plugged Xonar U3 PLUS into a USB port.
2. Check that the Windows hardware device manager has discovered a USB
audio device. If no device is found, try scanning for new hardware or restart
Windows.
3. Remove Xonar U3 PLUS, plug it into another USB port, and try again.
IcannotndtheXonarU3PLUSAudioCenter
Instructions:
1. Make sure you have installed the driver
2. Locate the Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center icon in the system tray on the
bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Double-click the icon to open the
Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center utility.
3. If the icon could not be found in the system tray, go to the Windows Control
Panel and double click the “Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center” icon to make it
visible in the system tray again.
4. After the driver installation is complete, it’s recommended that you reboot
your computer to complete the setup. If the icon still doesn’t appear, please
try installing the driver package again.
I cannot hear any sound from my analog speakers
Instructions:
1. Ensure that you have connected speakers properly and have powered on
your speakers.
2. Ensure that the device master volume or the software player has NOT been
muted on the Xonar U3 PLUS Audio Center.
3. If you are using Dolby Digital Live encoder through the S/PDIF output, the
analog output will be muted to get rid of the interference between your digital
speaker system and analog speakers or headphones. Please check if this is
the case.
4. Try restarting your Windows.
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I cannot hear any sound from the S/PDIF output
Instructions:
1. Ensure that you have enabled S/PDIF output in the Audio Center GUI (Main
page).
2. Ensure that you are connecting the correct S/PDIF output jack on the card to
the decoder’s (AV receiver) S/PDIF input jack.
3. You may need to select the correct input and mode of your decoder or AV
receiver. For Dolby Digital Live, you may have to double check that the AV
receiver is in that decoding mode.
I cannot hear audio input from my speakers
Instructions:
1. Go to the mixer recording page in the Audio Center and select the correct
input as the recording source. If you are using Windows Vista, also go to
system audio control panel to see the current default recording/input device is
right.
2. Remember to turn on the digital monitoring button for that recording source.
[FAQ]
Q1: Does the Xonar U3 PLUS support Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10?
Answer:
Yes, the Xonar U3 PLUS driver package does support Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10
32/64-bit and most key features are available.
Q2:WhatisthemostimportantbenetoftheXonarU3PLUSforKaraoke
users?
Answer:
1. The Xonar U3 PLUS audio center supports various Karaoke functions, such
as HP Filter, LP Filter, and much more.
2. The Xonar U3 PLUS audio center supports the Ducking function. When the
Ducking function is enabled, the volume of the background music decreases
when a human voice is detected, and returns to normal when the human
voice is gone.
3. The Xonar U3 PLUS audio center supports the Software Monitoring function.
When the Software Monitoring function is enabled, users can record their
voices without background sound.
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Q3:WillPCMsoundoutputthroughS/PDIFbejust2channelsevenwith
different analog output channels?
Answer:
The S/PDIF protocol specication (IEC-60958) can only carry 2-channel PCM data
or non-PCM AC3/DTS data. So, when a user selects PCM output for S/PDIF, the
Xonar sound card will always deliver 2 channel PCM data through the S/PDIF
output port.
28 ASUS Xonar U3 PLUS
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