DARLA
by
®
Owner’s Manual Version 1.6 for PC
Darla is designed and manufactured in the U.S. by Echo Corporation
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Sending in your registration card – or registering online at
allows us to register key information so that we may handle problems faster and inform you of advance
information on upgrades and other news. Thanks in advance for filling out your registration card and
sending it to us. We hope you enjoy your Echo product.
http://www.echoaudio.com/register.html
-
Limited Warranty
Echo Corporation warrants this product, when purchased at an Authorized Echo Dealer in the United States
of America, to be free of defects in materials and manufacturing workmanship for a period of one year from
the date of original purchase. During the warranty period Echo shall, at its option, either repair or replace
any product that proves to be defective upon inspection by Echo. Final determination of warranty coverage
lies solely with Echo. Echo reserves the right to update any unit returned for repair, and reserves the right
to change or improve the design of the product at any time without notice.
This is your sole warranty. Echo does not authorize any third party, including any dealer or sales
representative, to assume any liability on behalf of Echo or to make any warranty for Echo.
Service and repairs of Echo products are to be performed only at the factory (see below) unless otherwise
authorized in advance by the Echo Service Department. Unauthorized service, repair or modification will
void this warranty.
To obtain factory service:
Contact Echo Corporation at (805) 684-4593, 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday (Pacific Time). If
necessary, you will be given a return authorization number. Products returned without an RA number will
be refused. Echo may, at its option, require proof of the original date of purchase in the form of a dated
copy of the original authorized dealer’s invoice or sales receipt.
Pack the product in its original shipping carton and attach a description of the problem along with your
name and a phone number where Echo can contact you if necessary. Ship the product insured and freight
prepaid to:
Echo Corporation
6460 Via Real
Carpinteria, CA 93013
DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF WARRANTY
Echo Corporation makes no other warranties, express, implied, or otherwise, regarding Echo products, and
specifically disclaims any warranty for merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The exclusion of
implied warranties is not permitted in some states and the exclusions specified herein may not apply to you.
This warranty provides you with specific legal rights. There may be other rights that you have which vary
from state to state.
In no event will Echo Corporation be liable for any lost profits, or for any consequential, direct or indirect
damages, however caused and on any theory of liability, arising from this warranty and sale.
©1997 – 1999 by Echo Corporation
6460 Via Real
Carpinteria, CA 93013
Echo® is a registered trademark of Echo Corporation
®
,
Gina® and Darla® are trademarks of Echo Corporation
Layla
Windows
®
, Windows ‘95®, Windows ‘98®, and Windows NT® are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
What You Should Have Received in the Darla Box 5
System Requirements 5
Darla Installation
6
5
Running the Echo Reporter Software 6
The ECHODEL Program 10
System Sounds 11
Installing the Darla Hardware 12
Installing the Darla Software Drivers 13
Darla Audio Input & Output Devices 16
The Echo Console
The File Menu 19
The Edit Menu 19
The Session Menu 20
The Monitors Menu 21
Console Controls 21
Monitor Controls 21
Output Controls 23
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Adjusting Record and Playback Levels 23
Synchronizing Multiple Devices 23
Console Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts 24
Additional Configuration Settings 25
The Monitor During Playback Control 26
SAW Compatibility Mode 26
Show Echo Console on the Taskbar 26
ASIO Driver Installation
Installing Cool Edit Pro
Special Edition
Cool Edit Pro: Assigning Darla’s Inputs & Outputs
Cool Edit Pro: Optimizing Multitrack Performance
Contacting Customer Service
27
29
30
31
33
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Table of Contents
Appendix A:
Appendix B:
Appendix C:
Appendix D:
Appendix E:
Index
47
The Reporter Troubleshooting Guide 34
General Troubleshooting Guide
36
Resolving Interrupt Conflicts 37
Introduction to Digital Recording 42
Specifications 46
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Introduction
Thank you for choosing the Darla 20-bit Multitrack Digital Audio Recorder.
We think you’ll find Darla to be an extremely flexible, high-performance
tool for your computer-based hard disk recording system.
What You Should Have Received in the Darla Box
When you opened the Darla box, you should have found the following:
• A Darla PCI card wrapped in an anti-static cover
• A Darla audio breakout box
• A compact disc containing the Darla Windows 95/Windows 98
Drivers, the Echo Reporter
Software’s Cool Edit Pro
and editing software, and demo versions of digital audio recording,
editing, and processing software from a variety of manufacturers
• The Darla Owner’s Manual
system analysis software, Syntrillium
Special Edition multitrack recording
System Requirements
In order to use Darla you’ll need the following:
• An IBM-PC or compatible computer with PCI architecture
expansion slots (version 2.1 PCI BIOS), a genuine Intel Pentium or
faster CPU, a motherboard with an Intel chipset, and minimum
64Mb RAM (more highly recommended) running Windows 95 or
Windows 98
• A fast, high-capacity IDE or SCSI hard disk drive
• Peripheral audio equipment, such as a mixer, power amplifier, DAT
recorder, musical instruments, etc.
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Darla Installation
Complete Darla installation consists of performing a system check using the
Echo Reporter
software, installing the Darla PCI card, connecting the
audio interface to the card, installing the Darla Windows drivers into your
system and, if necessary, installing a multitrack audio recording/editing
application.
Running the Echo Reporter Software
The Reporter is designed to provide you with an analysis of your computer
system’s audio capabilities and its ability to work successfully with Darla.
The program looks at such things as your BIOS version, your interrupt
assignments, and your hard disk’s transfer rate. The Reporter will perform a
limited series of compatibility tests.
will work with Darla.
The only way to be sure is to install the card in your
system and see if it works. Please note that we only support Intel CPUs and
motherboards with an Intel chipset. Your system may or may not work with
other CPUs or chipsets.
Be sure to run the program before attempting to install Darla
help you avoid installation problems down the road. To run the Reporter,
simply double-click on
Install Reporter
the Darla CD-ROM. This will install the program onto your hard disk. The
Reporter will then show up under the
Utilities
. Select The Echo Reporter to launch the program.
Once the program launches, you’ll see the
screen. Press the
Proceed
button to initiate the disk speed test. This test will
tell you if your hard disk is fast enough to support multitrack digital audio
and, if so, approximately how many tracks of record and playback you’ll be
able to achieve.
It cannot guarantee that your system
as it can
icon in the
Start
menu,
Hard Disk Performance
Reporter
directory of
Programs, Echo Audio
test
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After the test is completed you’ll see a results screen. Many of the
parameters on the screen are interactive; you can change them to see how
your disk performs under different conditions.
For example, in the upper right corner of the screen you can see how large
your hard disk is and how many minutes of recording time it will provide
for a mono track recorded at 44.1kHz with 16-bit resolution. (Times are
expressed in Hours: Minutes: Seconds.) Change the
Number of Tracks
field to “2” and you’ll see the maximum length available for a stereo track.
Change the field to “8” and you’ll see the maximum length you’ll have for
an eight-track opus. Naturally, these multitrack readouts presume
uninterrupted, linear tracks. Your music is likely to contain numerous
snippets of data (e.g., the background vocals will only appear at specific
moments in time, not continuously throughout the whole tune), so, generally
speaking, you’ll be able to create longer pieces than the readout indicates.
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You can adjust the parameters on the Hard Disk Performance
screen to view your disk’s record and playback capabilities at
various sample rates and bit-resolutions.
You can also change the
Number of Tracks
fields. Though the original test was performed with
Size
(bit-resolution),
Rate
(sample rate), and
default values of 16-bit 44.1kHz, you can easily see your disk’s
performance reading and writing, say, 24-bit 48kHz data simply by selecting
those values in the appropriate fields.
About the
Tracks
heading:
Playback:
Record:
and
fields under the
Max Simultaneous
•
At the basic level, these two fields show you how many simultaneous
tracks of playback and recording your system will support. For example, if
the readout was “15” for the
Playback:
field and “8” for the
Record:
field, that means your system is capable of playing back 15 tracks while
simultaneously recording 8 tracks. Note, however, that the Playback: and
Record: fields are interrelated: as you change the value in one field, the
value in the other field is affected. In other words, the values are dynamic.
You can get a feel for how much overall read/write bandwidth you have by
adjusting the values in the two fields. By lowering the number of record
tracks, you’ll see the number of simultaneous playback tracks increase.
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Similarly, by lowering the number of playback tracks, you’ll see the
number of record tracks increase.
•
The readouts will generally show that you have fewer record tracks
available than playback tracks. This is because writing data to a hard disk
is a slower process than reading it back (due to the verify routines used
when writing to disk).
•
The values you see should not be taken as absolute. There are numerous
conditions that come into play when determining overall performance,
from operating system overhead to the audio application you’re running
(different programs use different file management schemes, with some
more efficient than others). The readouts you get from the Reporter are
meant to be taken as general guidelines. When you’re actually running
your audio software, you may get better results than the Reporter tells
youso don’t run out and buy new hardware just because the Reporter
tells you your system seems a bit on the weak side. Use your audio
application in real-world conditions, then make the determination if your
system can keep up with your needs.
(Conversely, if the Reporter tells you things look really bad, don’t waste
your time trying to do any serious work. If your hard disk is too slow or too
small, you’ll save yourself a lot of frustration by upgrading to a big fast disk
right out of the chutethat is, unless you like random skipping and hiccups
in your music. And don’t skimp on RAM: we suggest a minimum of 64 MB,
and load up from there. When it comes to multitrack digital audio, there’s
no such thing as too much RAM.)
When you’re finished playing around with the disk test parameters, click
Done
to get to the Summary screen. There you’ll see a complete analysis of
the results of the tests, an explanation of those results, and recommended
actions (if any are required). If the Reporter alerted you to any problems,
you should check the appendixes at the back of the Darla Owner’s Manual
for help in isolating the cause of your difficulty and finding a solution.
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The Summary screen tells you if your system can support multitrack audio
recording as well as alerting you to potential problems.
If your system passed the Echo Reporter test, it’s time to move on to the
next phase of installation.
The ECHODEL Program
If you have previously installed an Echo audio card, such as a Darla, Gina,
or Layla, it will be necessary to remove the old drivers before adding your
Darla. If you are uncertain as to whether any of these cards have ever
previously been installed in your computer, it might be wise to go ahead and
perform the remainder of this step anyway. It will not harm any of your
existing system files, and doing so will ensure that you are performing a
“clean” installation. On the CD that accompanied your Darla is a program
called ECHODEL.EXE. Simply run this program, following the program’s
instructions. It will make the appropriate deletions and update your
Windows system files. (NOTE: It is necessary to run the ECHODEL
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program anytime you add an Echo audio card to your system, even if you
are merely exchanging one card for an identical one (such as during a
warranty exchange). Be sure to restart Windows after you run the
ECHODEL program.
System Sounds
There is one final step to perform before installing the Darla hardware. We
suggest that you turn off your Windows system sounds prior to installing
Darla. Because most system sounds are sampled at very low sample rates,
typically 8 to 11 KHz, each time they are played it will cause the sample
rate clock on Darla to reset to the slower speed.
To turn off the system sounds, first go to the Windows
which can be found under
panel you will find an icon titled “
Settings
from the
Sounds
icon, you will see a window labeled “
Schemes
Start
”. After double clicking on this
” near the bottom of the
Control Panel
,
button. On the control
screen. Click on the small down arrow to the right of the combo-box and
select the “
No Sounds
” option. Then click on the Ok button.
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Installing the Darla Hardware
Once you have run the Reporter software, have verified that there are no
problems with your system, and have removed any old driver software with
the ECHODEL program, it is time to install Darla into your computer.
IMPORTANT - Unplug your computer and detach all peripherals before
proceeding with the following steps.
1. Remove your computer’s cover. This operation differs from computer to
computer. Refer to your computer’s manual for a further explanation of
this step if necessary.
2. Select the slot into which you will install the Darla card. The Darla card
is PCI architecture. Inside your computer you will likely find two types of
expansion slots, ISA and PCI. The PCI slots will be shorter and have a
higher connector pin density than the ISA slots. You may use any of the
available PCI slots in your computer for Darla. Unscrew and remove the
bracket covering the expansion slot where you would like to install Darla.
Place the screw in a safe place, as you will need it later to complete
installation.
3. Insure that you have fully discharged all static electricity from your body
before handling the Darla card. This can be done through the use of a
grounding strap or, more simply, by touching your bare hand to the metal
casing of the computer’s power supply. (For this latter method to work,
the computer must be plugged in, though not turned on. After you’ve
discharged your static, unplug the computer before proceeding to the next
step.)
4. Remove the Darla card from its protective anti-static bag. Handle the card
carefully by its edges and insert it into the selected expansion slot. Insure
that the card’s edge connector (the protruding edge with the gold leads) is
seated firmly into the slot. Centering the card over the slot and using a
gentle rocking motion while pushing downward into the slot generally
works well. Be careful not to force the card into the slot, or bend or twist
it while it is being inserted, as this could result in the card being damaged.
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5. Use the screw removed earlier from the protective backplate to attach the
metal bracket at the back of the Darla card to the computer’s rear panel.
6. Replace the computer’s cover and secure it. Reattach its power supply
cord and reconnect any peripherals that you may have removed prior to
beginning the Darla installation.
7. Locate the Darla audio breakout box. Align the box with the connector on
the Darla card that now protrudes through the back panel of your
computer, being certain that the breakout box is properly oriented (the
two red connectors toward the top of the card). Plug the box into the
Darla card, and secure the box using the built-in screws located on both
sides of the connector.
8. You can now attach external audio devices to the breakout box. Darla can
accommodate two analog input signals and can generate eight
independent analog output signals.
All of the analog inputs and outputs on Darla are simultaneously active,
allowing you to record up to two channels of audio while playing back eight
channels.
Installing the Darla Software Drivers
Now that you have completed the hardware installation, you need to install
the software drivers that allow Darla to interact properly with Windows
95/98 and your audio recording application.
Turn on the power to your computer’s CPU.
Caution: Lower the volume on
your outboard mixer prior to rebooting. The Darla hardware can produce
a loud pop when power is first applied to the computer.
After Windows
95/98 starts up, it will automatically sense the newly installed Darla card
and indicate, via a pop-up Install Wizard window, that new hardware has
been found. At this point, you should insert the Darla CD-ROM disc.
If you are using original Windows 95:
Within the Install Wizard window are several options. Select the option
Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer
. The computer
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will now prompt you for the location of the driver files. These files are
located in the root directory of the Darla CD-ROM. Click the
button in the Install Wizard; this will cause the
window to appear. In the field labeled
enter the path
D:\
(depending on your system configuration, your CD-ROM
“Copy manufacturer’s files from:”,
drive may use a letter other than “D”). Click on
“Install From Disk”
OK
to complete the
Browse
installation. Now turn to page 15.
If you are using Windows 95 OSR2:
After you have inserted the Darla CD-ROM disc and clicked
Next
, you’ll
see the message, “Windows found the following updated driver for this
device, Darla by Echo.” Click on the
Finish
button and Windows will
attempt to locate the drivers on a disk labeled “Echo Install Disk.”
Unfortunately, no such disk exists. So what you’ll see is a not-so-nice error
message marked with a big red X. Ignore Windows’ rude behavior and click
on the OK button. This will bring you to the
Within the window is a field labeled
Copy Files From:
Copying Files . . .
into which you’ll
window.
need to enter the path name for the Darla drivers. Type in the letter name of
your CD-ROM drive followed by :\ (for example,
D:\
). Click on
OK
, and
Windows will complete the driver installation routine. Now turn to page 15.
If you are using Windows 98:
After you have inserted the Darla CD-ROM disc and clicked
next
, you’ll
see the message, “What do you want Windows to do?” Below that are two
radio buttons. If it isn’t already selected, select the one labeled “Search for
the best driver for your device (Recommended)”. Click on the
Next
button
and a dialog will appear with several check boxes indicating places where
Windows will look. If you are installing from a CD-ROM drive or from a
floppy disk, click on the appropriate box. Be sure all others are unchecked.
Click on the
disk and show you the
Next
button and Windows will locate the drivers on the install
Copying Files . . .
window as it completes the driver
installation.
After the drivers are installed, you should verify that Windows recognizes
them. You can do this by checking in the Windows Control Panel as
follows:
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Begin by clicking on the Windows
followed by
At the top of the
Manager
Game Controllers
Control Panel
System
. Now double-click on the icon labeled
window, you will see a tab labeled
; click on the tab. Now locate the line labeled
. Double-clicking on the “+” to the left of the line’s
Start
associated icon should reveal the line
button. Then select
Darla by Echo
; double-click on that
Sound, Video, and
Settings
Device
,
System
.
line. The “Holy Grail” that we’re searching for is a message that, if
everything is in working order, should now appear on your screen. In the
center of the Darla Properties window will be a section called “Device
Status.” Look for a message that reads “This device is working properly.” If
you see it, give yourself a hearty pat on the back for a job well done!
Proper installation of the Darla drivers will result in the
message, “The device is working properly.”
If the message does not appear, check Appendices A, B and C for help in
isolating the cause of your difficulties.
You can now exit back to the
audio input and output devices that are available. In the
Control Panel
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window to check the Darla
Control Panel
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