M-Audio Delta 44 User Manual

5 (1)

Delta 44 Manual

 

version: D44-110801

 

Table of Contents

 

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.2

What’s in the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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About the Delta 44 Digital Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.2

Product Features & Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.3

Minimum System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.3

Break-Out Box Front Panel: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.4

Break-Out Box Back Panel: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.4

PCI Host Adapter Card: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.4

Quick Guide to Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.4

Hardware Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.5

Delta Driver & Software Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.6

Windows 98 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.6

Windows 95 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.7

Windows NT 4.0 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Windows NT 3.51 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.8

Macintosh Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.8

Verifying Windows Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.9

Verifying Delta Control Panel Software Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10

Delta System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10

Delta’s Analog Input/Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10

The Digital Monitor Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11

The Patchbay / Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12

Using the Delta 44 with your Software Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12

Delta 44 Control Panel Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14

Monitor Mixer Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15

Patchbay/Router Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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S/PDIF Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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About Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

21

Save, Delete, Load Buttons; H/W Installed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

22

Delta 44 Recording Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Typical Setup #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Typical Setup #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

32

Troubleshooting Tips for Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Appendix A - Technical Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36

Appendix B -If You Use An External Mixer... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Limited Lifetime Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the Delta 44 Digital Recording Interface designed and built by M Audio. Even if you are experienced in digital recording, please take the time to read this manual. It will give you valuable information on installing your new card and the supporting software, plus help you to fully understand the function and use of the Delta 44. Once you’re up and running, you will quickly discover the power and brilliance, both in sound and design, of your Delta 44 Digital Recording Interface.

What’s in the Box?

Your Delta 44 box contains:

This instruction manual.

The Delta 44 PCI host adapter card.

The Delta 44 break-out box.

15-pin D-sub to 15-pin D-sub cable.

CD containing drivers & Delta Control Panel software for Windows 98/95/NT and Macintosh OS 8.5.1 or higher.

M Audio Warranty Registration card.

About the Delta 44 Digital Recording

Interface

The Delta 44 is a 4-input, 4-output digital recording interface. Its four analog inputs and outputs give you the highest quality digital audio available — all up to 24-bit data width and any sampling rate from 8kHz to 96kHz. Connect a line-level signal from your instrument, mixer, or pre-amp to the Delta 44’s TRS jacks on the breakout box. Match the operating levels of your input and output signals using the +4, ‘Consumer,’ or -10 signal level software switches. Control all routing and hardware settings with the Delta’s comprehensive control panel software.

Within the Delta 44’s PCI chip is a hardware digital mixer. Controlled by the included Delta Control Panel software, it may handle all of your routing and monitoring needs, giving you extra control of all left, right, and stereo levels, in addition to control of pans, solos, and mutes.

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Product Features & Specifications

4x4 24-bit/96khz full-duplex recording interface.

PCI host card with external break-out box.

4x4 analog I/O accepts balanced or unbalanced connections on 1/4” TRS jacks.

Analog I/O configurable for +4dBu, Consumer (approximately -4dBV), and -10dBV signal levels.

Analog dynamic range exceeding 103dB.

All data paths support up to 24bit/96kHz performance, no upgrades necessary.

Comprehensive digital mixing, routing, and monitoring capabilities controlled by included Delta Control Panel software.

Windows 95/98 multi-card drivers with ASIO1 and ASIO2 multi-card, GSIF and EASI drivers included; Windows NT multi-card and Mac OS drivers with ASIO 1&2 also included.

Minimum System Requirements

Windows 95 or Windows 98.

Pentium II 266MHz for 96kHz operation. Pentium 200 MMX for 48kHz or less.

128 MB of PC100 RAM for 96kHz operation. 64MB SDRAM for 48kHz or less.

Mac G3 or G3 accelerator with 64 MB of RAM, 128 recommended. Some faster Power PCs will perform adequately.

UDMA EIDE or SCSI HDD recommended.

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Break-Out Box Front Panel:

1.Analog OUTS 1-4: These jacks output analog audio to a variety of external sources. Each jack is 1/4” TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) and is compatible with 1/4” TRS (balanced) or TS (Tip-Sleeve unbalanced) connections.

2.Analog INS 1-4: These jacks input analog audio from a variety of external sources. Each jack is 1/4” TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) and is compatible with 1/4” TRS (balanced) or TS (Tip-sleeve unbalanced) connections.

Break-Out Box Back Panel:

3.Host Cable connector: This 15-pin D-sub connector is used to attach the external break-out box to the PCI host card, using the supplied host cable.

PCI Host Adapter Card:

4.Host Cable connector: This 15-pin D-sub connector attaches to the supplied host cable to allow communication between the PCI host card and the break-out box.

Quick Guide to Getting Started

Here is a list of the steps required to get your Delta 44 up and running:

1.Physically install the card in your computer and connect it to the Delta 44 breakout box (see ‘Hardware Installation’).

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2.Start Windows and allow Windows’ Plug-and-Play to prompt you for the Delta 44 drivers via the Add New Hardware wizard. Install drivers and support software (see ‘Windows Software Installation’).

3.On the Mac, drag the Delta extension to the Extensions folder, and the appropriate ASIO driver to your application’s ASIO folder. Restart. If not using ASIO, set the Sound Manager to Delta (see Mac Installation).

4.Configure your digital recording software to use the Delta 44 as its active audio device (see ‘Using the Delta 44 with your Software Application’ and also your software application’s manual).

5.Hook up your digital and analog audio gear (see ‘Delta 44 Recording Tutorials’). Configure your Delta Control Panel software for proper monitoring and playback.

Hardware Installation

To mechanically install the Delta 44, do the following:

1.Turn off your computer.

2.Remove the computer’s cover and position the computer so that you may easily access its PCI slots.

3.Select the PCI slot where you will install your Delta 44 PCI host card. Make sure the slot is a PCI slot. If you don’t know what “PCI slot” means, check the owner’s manual for your computer. PCI slots are distinguishable from ISA slots by being shorter and set back farther from the outside of the computer, however some newer computers have only PCI slots.

4.Before removing the Delta 44 PCI host card from its protective anti-static bag, touch the metal power supply case of the computer in order to dissipate any static electricity your body may have accumulated. You might want to pick up a grounding wrist strap (available from electronics stores like Radio Shack) if you want to be doubly sure you aren’t carrying a static charge that could damage the card.

5.Remove the metal bracket that covers the access hole on the back of the computer. This bracket is usually fastened to the computer with a single screw.

6.Position the Delta 44 PCI host card over the target PCI slot and fit the card loosely over it with the card in the upright position. Press the card gently but firmly downward into the slot until the card is completely and squarely seated in the slot. If the card seems difficult to seat, a slight rocking motion may help.

7.Screw the Delta 44 PCI host card’s metal bracket down into the screw hole on the back of your computer using the screw you removed in step 5 above.

8.Place the cover back on your computer.

Now it is time to connect the Delta 44 break-out box to the PCI host card that you have just installed. Never attach the break-out box with the computer turned on. Doing so could damage the PCI card, and void your warranty.

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With your computer turned off:

9.Place the Delta 44 break-out box on a desktop in a convenient but secure place, or mount the unit in a 19” rack-mount chassis. Rack mounting may be accomplished with a universal rack-mount tray, using a 5mm screw through the tray and into the mounting hole on the bottom of the Delta 44 break-out box.

10.Connect one end of the supplied host cable to the 15-pin D-sub connector on the break-out box.

11.Connect the other end of the host cable to the 15-pin D-sub connector on the Delta 44 PCI Host card that now resides in your computer.

Delta Driver & Software Installation

The Delta 44 system includes a “Drivers CD” for Windows 98/95/NT and Macintosh, containing all Windows drivers, Macintosh drivers (including all ASIO drivers), and Delta Control Panel software. To install these on your system, please follow these steps:

Windows 98 Installation

1.After installing the Delta 44 hardware, boot your system and start Windows. During the Windows boot procedure, the new hardware will be automatically detected by the ‘Add New Hardware Wizard’, as shown here. Click ‘Next>’.

2.The ‘Add New Hardware Wizard’ will now ask how to locate the driver. “Search for the best driver for your device” is already selected. Click ‘Next>’.

3.Windows will give you a selection of locations to search. Make sure that only “Choose a Path” is checked, or click on the check box to do so. Insert the Drivers CD into your CD ROM drive. Type in the drive letter of your CD drive (we will assume here that it is D:\) and the path to the Delta drivers, which will be D:\DeltaSeries\Delta9X. Click ‘Next>’.

4.The ‘Wizard’ reports that its Windows driver file search has found the M Audio Delta 44. Click ‘Next>’.

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5.Windows is now ready to install the driver files from the specified location. Click ‘Next>’. Windows will start to copy the files and show you a progress report screen.

6.The Wizard reports that Windows has finished installing the software. Click ‘Finish’. Your Delta 44 is ready for action.

After completion of the driver installation, Windows may require you to restart Windows. If it does request a restart, remove the Delta disk from the floppy disk drive and respond by clicking “Yes”. The system will restart and your Delta 44 is ready for use

Windows 95 Installation

1.After installation of the Delta 44 hardware, boot your system and start Windows. During the Windows boot procedure, new hardware will be automatically detected.

2.Choose the Install of “driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer,” then click OK.

3.An ‘Install From Disk’ dialog will prompt you to copy files from the A:\ drive Click browse. Insert the Drivers CD into your CD ROM drive. Type in the drive letter of your CD drive (we will assume here that it is D:\) and the path to the Delta drivers, which will be D:\DeltaSeries\Delta9X. Click OK.

4.Windows will start to copy files, with a progress indicator on the screen. Once this process completes itself, your Delta 44 will be ready for action.

After completion of the driver installation, Windows may require you to restart. If it does request a restart, remove the Delta Disk from the floppy disk drive and respond by clicking “Yes”. The system will restart and your Delta 44 is ready for use.

Windows NT 4.0 Installation

1.Power up your computer after physically installing the Delta 44 card.

2.Go to Start | Settings | Control Panel and double click on ‘Multimedia.’ Click the ‘Devices’ tab, then click the ‘Add’ button.

3.“Unlisted or Updated Driver” will be highlighted at the top of the list. Click OK.

4..You will be prompted to insert the driver disk,, with the A: prompt appearing as the path. Insert the Drivers CD into your CD ROM drive. Type in the drive letter of your CD drive (we will assume here that it is D:\) and the path to the Delta drivers, which will be D:\DeltaSeries\Delta_NT. Click OK.

5.The “M Audio Delta Interface Card” driver will appear in the Add Unlisted or Updated Driver dialog box. Click OK.

Windows NT will require you to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. Choose “Restart Now.” Upon restart, your Delta 44 will be ready for use.

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Windows NT 3.51 Installation

1.Install the hardware in your system, then power up your system & boot Windows NT Ver 3.51.

2.Click and open the “Main” group.

3.Click and open the “Control Panel.”

4.Click on the “Drivers” icon.

5.Click on the “Add” button.

6.Select the “Unlisted or Updated Driver” entry and push “OK.”

7.You will be prompted to insert the driver disk,, with the A: prompt appearing as the path. Insert the Drivers CD into your CD ROM drive. Type in the drive letter of your CD drive (we will assume here that it is D:\) and the path to the Delta drivers, which will be D:\DeltaSeries\Delta_NT. Click OK.

8.When the “Add Unlisted or Updated Driver” window pops up, select the “M Audio Delta Interface Card” entry and click “OK”.

9.In order for the driver installation to be completed you will be required to exit and restart Windows.

Macintosh Installation

1.Open the System folder on your Macintosh hard drive. In the System folder, locate the Extensions folder.

2.On your Drivers CD disk, open the Delta Products folder, then the Delta 44 folder. Place the extension file "Delta 44 Driver" in your Extensions folder by clicking on it and dragging it to the Extensions folder.

3.If you are using a music program that uses ASIO drivers, it will also have an ASIO folder within the application’s folder. In your Mac Delta Drivers folder you will find three Delta 44 ASIO drivers. For Cubase versions 4.x, use the "ASIO2 Delta44" driver. For Metro, or earlier versions of Cubase, use the "ASIO Delta44v3" driver. For any music program that is not ASIO2 capable, use the “ASIO Delta 44” driver instead (check your program’s documentation). Place the file "ASIO Delta" in your program's ASIO folder by clicking on it and dragging it to the ASIO folder.

4.Drag the "DeltaPanel PPC" file onto your Macintosh hard drive. You can run the Delta Control Panel from any place that's convenient, though music software applications that use ASIO will allow you to launch the Delta panel from within the program. If not, we suggest creating a alias to the control panel by highlighting it and pressing Command (Apple key)+M. Then, drag the alias to the desktop.

5.With the Delta 44 PCI card installed, restarting the computer will load the Delta 44 extension. You will be able to visually see the Delta extension icon pass by as your system loads extension.

6.Go to the Apple menu |Control Panel | Sound. You should see the “built-in” sound icon, plus the Delta icon if your Delta 44 is properly installed. If your music program does use ASIO, leave the Sound Manager driver set to "built-in" for both Sound In and Sound Out. If your program does not use ASIO (check

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M-Audio Delta 44 User Manual

your software’s documentation) and you will be using the Sound Manager to communicate with your Delta 44, set Sound In and Sound Out to “Delta.” See the section “Hardware Settings Page” in the Delta 44 “Control Panel Software” section for information on selecting Sound Manger inputs and outputs. Your Delta 44 is now ready for use.

Verifying Windows Driver Installation

Windows displays the Delta 44 driver status in the Device Manager page of the System Properties dialog box. The Device Manager page is opened via the Windows Start button: select Start | Settings | Control Panel | System | Device Manager. With the Device Manager displayed, click on the ‘+’ next to “Sound, video and game controllers” to open a list of devices, the Delta 44 being a device of that nature. Below is an example view of the Device Manager.

This example shows the M Audio Delta 44 and Midiman MidiSport 2x2 (another product shown here only as an example) entries in the Windows Device Manager device list. The Delta 44 is properly installed with no conflicts, as is the MidiSport 2x2. If you do not see your M Audio Delta 44 in your Device Manager in this fashion, please jump ahead to the “Troubleshooting” section of this manual.

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Verifying Delta Control Panel Software

Installation

In Windows, open the Windows Control Panel (do so via Start | Settings | Control Panel ). If your Delta 44 hardware and Delta Control Panel software are properly installed, the Windows Control Panel should display an “M Audio Delta H/W” icon. By double-clicking on that icon, you may launch the Delta Control Panel software. Also for convenience, you may create a shortcut on your desktop by dragging a copy of the “M Audio Delta H/W” icon from the Control Panel to your Windows desktop using your mouse or trackball. After completing the drag operation, a dialog box will ask you if you wish to create a shortcut — click on ‘Yes’. Once the shortcut is installed, all you have to do is double-click on the shortcut icon on your desktop to launch the Delta Control Panel software.

On the Macintosh, the Delta Control Panel may be placed anywhere on your hard drive, or any partition of your hard drive that you find convenient. Once the control panel file has been dragged from the CD onto your hard drive, you may double click it to launch the Delta Control Panel software. You may create a alias to the control panel by highlighting it, then holding Apple key+M. This alias can then be placed on your desktop.

NOTE: When using a music software program that is ASIO capable, launch the Delta Control Panel software from within that program. Some of the control panel functions will be controlled from within that program, such as master clock setting and sample rate, so it is desireable to launch the music program first, and then the Delta Control Panel from the the program’s “launch” or “control panel” button. Without the music program open however, it is okay to open the Delta panelfrom your desktop or otherlocation.

Delta System Overview

Delta’s Analog Input/Outputs

The Delta 44 Digital Recording Interface’s analog inputs and outputs are compatible with a wide variety of audio products. The Delta Control Panel software allows you to configure the signal levels of each input individually, and all outputs as a group. Signal level settings of +4/Consumer/-10 are available. Selecting the ‘+4’ radio button configures the channel(s) for use with +4dBu signal levels, compatible with most musical instruments and professional mixers. Selecting the ‘-10’ setting sets up the channel(s) for - 10dBV nominal signal levels, commonly used with consumer equipment such as CD, MiniDisc, cassette tape and DAT players. The ‘Consumer’ setting is

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preferred for semi-pro audio equipment and some consumer equipment that is too ‘hot’ for the ‘-10’ setting. The ‘Consumer’ setting offers approximately 6dB more headroom than does the ‘-10’ setting. Semi-pro and consumer devices’ signal levels vary from manufacturer-to-manufacturer and even product-to- product, so a little experimentation between Consumer and -10 settings may be required for optimal results.

NOTE: In order to preserve its high dynamic range and minimize distortion, the Delta 44 does not have microphone pre-amplifiers built into it. Therefore direct connection to a microphone is not recommended. Instead run the microphone signal into a microphone pre-amp (such as the Midiman "Audio Buddy™") and then connect the pre-amp output to the input of the Delta 44.

All jacks on the Delta 44 break-out box are of the 1/4” TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) variety. The TRS jacks allow connection to either balanced (typically professional) or unbalanced (typically consumer or semi-pro) equipment. +4dBu balanced configurations provide the highest performance and should be used whenever possible. The Delta 44’s analog connections support combinations of balanced and unbalanced, +4dBu, consumer, and -10dBV level signals.

The Digital Monitor Mixer

The Delta 44 Digital Recording System has a hardware digital audio mixer built into its PCI controller chip. It accepts digital audio streams from all hardware inputs and all outgoing software audio devices, mixes them with 36-bit internal precision and then provides the mixed output to one or more locations. For the purpose of monitoring, the output of the mixer may be routed to the first set of Delta 44 analog outputs H/W OUT1/OUT2, as a stereo pair. At the same time the mixer may be used for stereo mix-down, with the mixer’s output recorded into the user’s application software. The digital audio mixer is configured and controlled by the included Delta Control Panel Software.

The Patchbay / Router

In addition to the built-in monitor mixer, the Delta 44 Digital Recording Interface includes an output patchbay/router. The patchbay/router allows each output to be connected to several input sources. The Delta 44’s outputs may accept audio from software sources (the output devices visible in your audio software applications) or from hardware sources such as the analog inputs or the monitor mixer. This capability makes the Delta 44 quite flexible for WAV output, monitoring, or directly connecting inputs to outputs for “system test” purposes.

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Synchronization

For proper operation, the entire Delta 44 system is always synchronized to a single master clock. This master clock is derived from the internal crystal oscillators. When a WAV file is played through the Delta drivers, the software application playing the WAV file is responsible for setting the sample rate in the sound card hardware. The Delta 44 supports these sample rates by using either of its internal crystal oscillators and dividing the rate of that oscillator by some value to derive the proper sample rate.

Using the Delta 44 with your Software Application

Once the Delta 44’s hardware and driver software are properly installed, it is ready for use with your music application software. Some of these applications may require you to highlight or enable the Delta 44 drivers within the program, and others may have a utility that analyzes or profiles the audio cards in your system and enables the drivers. Your software should have an audio device driver setup page.

WINDOWS MME AUDIO INPUT DEVICES: The Delta 44 analog inputs may be used simultaneously for a total of 4 input channels. Within your software application(s), the names of the Delta 44 audio input devices are:

PCM In 1/2 Delta-44

PCM In 3/4 Delta-44

Mon.Mixer Delta-44

The PCM In devices allow recording a stereo stream directly from the specified analog input pairs. The Mon.Mixer device allows stereo recording from the digital “monitor” mixer built-into the Delta 44. The audio data recorded from this device is the mix of input and output streams set up in the Delta Control Panel software (see “Delta 44 Control Panel Software” section).

Note that the input devices are stereo. Your application software may break these down further to “left” and “right” mono devices. Therefore you may see them as “Left PCM In 1/2 Delta-44, Right PCM In 1/2 Delta-44”, “Left PCM In 3/4Delta-44, Right PCM In 3/4 Delta-44”, or “Left Mon.Mixer Delta-44, Right Mon.Mixer Delta-44,” from within your recording software.

WINDOWS MME AUDIO OUTPUT DEVICES: The Delta 44 analog outputs may all be used simultaneously for a total of 4 output channels. Within your software application(s), the names of the Delta 44 audio output devices are:

WavOut 1/2 Delta-44

WavOut 3/4 Delta-44

Each WavOut device allows playing a stereo audio stream to the analog hardware outputs, and into the hardware router or mixer. Your application software may break

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