Mackie FireWire Card User's Manual

FireWire Card Control Panel Guide

Introduction

The FireWire card comes with printed instructions that show how to install the FireWire card into your d.2 DJ Mixer, and to load the PC driver and software onto your computer. This gripping roller-coaster of a printed document is entitled "d.2 FireWire Card Installation Instructions."

If you follow these instructions, your d.2 with FireWire installed, is almost ready to take its place in polite audio society. The following details show a little about the software control panel for the PC. The Mac computers have their own control panel in the Audio-Midi Setup Utility.

Let's start with the PC.

Windows XP

To access the FireWire control panel under Windows XP, navigate in the "All Programs" menu to the folder marked “Mackie DJ Mixer.” Click on the icon labeled “Mackie DJ Mixer Control Panel.”

Controls:

Stream Buffer Depth:

This adjusts the resolution of the ASIO buffer depth and WDM sound buffer depth faders. For example, setting the stream buffer depth to 1 will cause the ASIO and WDM buffers to be adjusted in steps of 1 millisecond. Setting it to 10 causes the ASIO and WDM buffers to be adjusted in steps of 10 milliseconds.

ASIO Buffer Depth:

This fader adjusts the size of the audio buffer used with ASIO hosts such as Cubase SX, Native Instruments, and Traktor DJ Studio, for example. Setting this fader to a lower value, such as 2 ms, allows for the lowest amount of latency going into and out of the computer, but requires more processing power from the computer’s CPU. Conversely, setting this fader to a higher value requires less processing power from the computer, but results in more latency. If you have a fast computer, set this fader as low as it will go without causing pops and clicks in the audio being played back or recorded. Depending on the computer being used, however, it may be necessary to set this fader to a higher value to avoid audio drop-outs.

Alternately, if the FireWire control panel is already running,

simply click the FireWire icon in the taskbar:

Once opened, the FireWire control panel will appear:

WDM Sound Buffer Depth:

This fader adjusts the size of the audio buffer used for programs such as Windows Media Player and i-Tunes, which access the Mackie DJ Mixer FireWire card through the Windows Operating System, rather than through an ASIO driver. Setting this fader to lower values results in less latency in the audio entering and exiting the computer, but requires more processing power from the computer’s CPU. Setting the fader to higher values requires less processing power from the computer, but results in more latency in the audio. If you have a fast computer, set this fader as low as it will go without causing pops and clicks in the audio being played back or recorded. Depending on the computer being used and the number of programs being run, however, it may be necessary to set this fader to a higher value to avoid these audio drop-outs.

Sample Rate:

You can select the sample rate here, or from your audio application, such as Tracktion 2.

Note: The maximum recording sample rate is 96 kHz. If the sample rate is set to 176.4 or 192 kHz, you can playback, but not record.

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Mac OS X Control Panel

To access the controls for the DJ Mixer Firewire option card under Apple OS X, Open the Audio Midi Setup control panel. This can be found on the System disk under Applications -> Utilities -> Audio-MIDI Setup.

You can select the Mackie DJ Mixer in the "Properties For:" box, and set it to be the Default Input, and Default Output.

There are two channels coming in from the d.2, and four channels going out.

Note: The maximum recording sample rate is 96 kHz. If the sample rate is set to 176.4 or 192 kHz, you can playback, but not record.

“Mackie,” and the “Running Man” are registered trademarks of LOUD Technologies Inc. All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders, and are hereby acknowledged.

LOUD Technologies Inc. • 16220 Wood-Red Road NE Woodinville • WA • 98072 • 800/258-6883 Outside the U.S. call 425/487-4333 • FAX 425/487-4337

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