RME Digiface USB User's Guide
User's Guide
Digiface USB
24 Bit / 192 kHz 9
SteadyClock
32 / 8 Channel ADAT / SPDIF Interface
24 Bit / 192 kHz Analog Stereo Monitor
The Optical Box
TotalMix
™
SyncCheck™
USB 2.0 Digital I/O System
24 Bit / 192 kHz Digital Audio
66 x 34 Matrix Router
™
General
1 Introduction ...............................................................6
2 Package Contents .....................................................6
3 System Requirements ..............................................6
4 Brief Description and Characteristics.....................6
5 First Usage - Quick Start
5.1 Connectors – LEDs.................................................7
5.2 Quick Start ..............................................................7
Installation and Operation - Windows
6 Driver and Firmware
6.1 Driver Installation .....................................................10
6.2 De-installing the Drivers...........................................10
6.3 Firmware Update .....................................................11
7 Configuring the Digiface USB
7.1 Settings Dialog – General ........................................12
7.2 WDM Configuration..................................................14
8 Operation and Usage
8.1 Playback...................................................................16
8.2 DVD Playback (AC-3 / DTS) ....................................16
8.3 Channel Count under WDM.....................................17
8.4 Multi-client Operation ...............................................17
8.5 Digital Recording......................................................17
8.6 Clock Modes - Synchronization ...............................18
9 Operation under ASIO
9.1 General ...................................................................19
9.2 Channel Count under ASIO....................................19
9.3 Known Problems.....................................................20
10 Using more than one Digiface USB.......................20
11 DIGICheck Windows ...............................................21
12 Hotline – Troubleshooting......................................22
Installation and Operation - Mac OS X
13 Driver and Firmware
13.1 Driver Installation .................................................24
13.2 De-installing the Drivers.......................................24
13.3 Firmware Update..................................................25
14 Configuring the Digiface USB
14.1 Settings Dialog – General ....................................26
14.2 Clock Modes - Synchronization ...........................27
15 Mac OS X FAQ
15.1 Repairing Disk Permissions .................................27
15.2 Supported Sample Rates .....................................27
15.3 Channel Count under Core Audio........................28
15.4 Various Information ..............................................28
16 Using more than one Digiface USB.......................28
17 DIGICheck Mac ........................................................29
18 Hotline – Troubleshooting......................................30
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User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
TotalMix FX
19 TotalMix: Routing and Monitoring
19.1 Overview .............................................................. 32
19.2 The User Interface ............................................... 34
19.3 The Channels....................................................... 35
Settings.............................................................. 37
19.4 Section Control Room.......................................... 38
19.5 The Control Strip.................................................. 39
19.5.1 View Options................................................ 40
19.5.2 Snapshots - Groups..................................... 41
19.5.3 Channel Layout – Layout Presets................ 42
19.5.4 Scroll Location Markers ...............................43
19.6 Preferences.......................................................... 44
19.6.1 Store for Current User or all Users (Win) ....45
19.7 Settings
19.7.1 Mixer Page................................................... 46
19.7.2 MIDI Page .................................................... 47
19.7.3 OSC Page.................................................... 48
19.7.4 Aux Devices ................................................. 49
19.8 Hotkeys and Usage ............................................. 50
19.9 Menu Options....................................................... 51
19.10 Menu Window ...................................................... 52
20 The Matrix
20.1 Overview .............................................................. 52
20.2 Elements of the Matrix view ................................. 52
20.3 Operation .............................................................53
21 Tips and Tricks
21.1 ASIO Direct Monitoring (Windows) ...................... 53
21.2 Copy a Submix..................................................... 53
21.3 Doubling the Output Signal (Mirror) ..................... 53
21.4 Delete a Submix................................................... 54
21.5 Copy and Paste everywhere................................ 54
21.6 Recording a Submix - Loopback ......................... 54
21.7 MS Processing..................................................... 55
22 MIDI Remote Control
22.1 Overview .............................................................. 56
22.2 Mapping ...............................................................56
22.3 Setup....................................................
................ 57
22.4 Operation .............................................................57
22.5 MIDI Control ......................................................... 58
22.6 Loopback Detection ............................................. 59
22.7 OSC (Open Sound Control)................................. 59
23 DAW Mode ............................................................... 60
24 TotalMix Remote ..................................................... 61
Miscellaneous
25 Technical Specifications
26 Technical Background
26.1 Lock and SyncCheck ........................................... 64
26.2 USB Audio ........................................................... 65
27 Warranty................................................................... 66
28 Appendix.................................................................. 67
29 Declaration of Conformity...................................... 68
User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
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User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
User's Guide
Digiface USB
General
User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
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1. Introduction
Thank you for choosing RME’s Digiface USB. This compact, portable audio interface is capable
of transferring digital audio data directly to Windows and Mac computers. The latest Plug and
Play technology guarantees a simple installation, even for the inexperienced user. Numerous
unique features as well as RME's robust drivers enable a quick, efficient and comfortable operation of the Digiface USB.
The package contains drivers for Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 and Mac OS X x86 (Intel).
Our high-performance philosophy guarantees maximum system performance by executing as
many functions as possible not in the driver (i.e. the CPU), but within the audio hardware.
2. Package Contents
x Digiface USB
x Cable USB 2.0, 1.8 m (6 ft)
x Manual
x RME Driver CD
3. System Requirements
x Windows Vista or up, Intel Mac OS X (10.6 or up)
x 1 USB 2.0 port or USB 3 port
x Computer with at least Pentium Core 2 Duo CPU
4. Brief Description and Characteristics
x All settings can be changed in real-time
x ADAT and SPDIF I/Os can be used simultaneously
x Unsurpassed Bitclock PLL (audio synchronization) in ADAT mode
x 16 channels 96 kHz/24 bit record/playback via ADAT optical (S/MUX)
x 8 channels 192 kHz/24 bit record/playback via ADAT optical (S/MUX4)
x Buffer sizes/latencies from 32 up to 8192 samples selectable
x Clock modes slave and master
x Automatic and intelligent master/slave clock control
x SteadyClock: Jitter-immune, super-stable digital clock
x SyncAlign guarantees sample aligned and never swapping channels
x SyncCheck tests and reports the synchronization status of input signals
x TotalMix for latency-free submixes and perfect ASIO Direct Monitoring
x TotalMix:2244 channel mixer with 46 bit internal resolution
x 1 x Analog/Line headphone output, separate output for independent submix
x DIGICheck DSP: Level meter in hardware, peak- and RMS calculation
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User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
5. First Usage – Quick Start
5.1 Connectors – LEDs
The front of the Digiface USB features the USB connector, five status LEDs and the headphone output.
The USB power LED indicates sufficient power supply (USB bus power).
Sync LEDs 1 to 4 show the current status of all optical inputs. With no input signal they stay
dark. With recognized but not synchronous ADAT or SPDIF signal they flash. With a valid and
synchronous input signal they stay constantly lit.
USB 2.0: Standard USB socket for connection to the computer. Please make sure the Digiface
USB can have the full voltage/current delivered from the computer by using hi-quality USB cables (like the one included), no USB extension cables and no USB hubs. When connected to
USB 3 only the USB 2 protocol will be used.
Phones is a low impedance line
output of highest quality. It provides a
sufficient and undistorted volume
even when used with headphones.
In case this output should operate as
Line output, an adapter TRS plug to
RCA phono plugs, or TRS plug to TS
plugs is required.
The pin assignment follows international standards. The left
channel is connected to the tip, the
right channel to the ring of the TRS
jack/plug.
The rear of the Digiface USB features 4 optical inputs and 4 optical outputs in TOSLINK format.
These are compatible with ADAT optical and SPDIF optical.
5.2 Quick Start
After the driver installation (chapter 6 / 13), connect the inputs and outputs with the respective
signal source (AD/DA converter, ADAT recorder, digital mixing desks etc).
Level adjustment of the analog output Phones is available in TotalMix FX. The output is optimized for phones, but can also be used as line output
TotalMix FX remembers all settings, and loads these automatically when the Digiface USB drivers are loaded.
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User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
User's Guide
Digiface USB
Installation and Operation – Windows
User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
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6. Driver and Firmware
6.1 Driver Installation
RME is constantly improving their drivers - the included Driver CD is most probably already
outdated when unpacking the product. Please download the latest drivers from the RME website at http://rme.to/usbe
staller.exe.
If internet access is not available insert the RME Driver CD into your CD-ROM drive. The driver
installer is located in the directory \Madiface USB. Start rmeinstaller.exe and follow the instruc-
tions of the installer. After installation connect computer and Digiface USB. Windows detects
the new hardware as Digiface USB and installs the drivers automatically.
After a reboot, the icons of TotalMix FX and Settings dialog appear in
the notification area. Windows might hide them behind the triangle,
click on it to access them and to configure their appearance.
Chapter 26.2 explains how to find the ideal USB port.
Driver Updates do not require to remove the existing drivers. Simply install the new driver over
the existing one.
Possible reasons why a Digiface USB is not found automatically:
x The USB port is not active in the system (check the Device Manager)
x The USB cable is not, or not correctly inserted into the socket
x The Digiface USB does not receive any or not enough power. Remove current-consuming
hard drives from nearby ports. Avoid USB extension cables and USB hubs.
6.2 De-installing the Drivers
A de-installation of the driver files is not necessary. Thanks to full Plug & Play support, the
driver files will not be loaded after the hardware has been removed.
Unfortunately Windows Plug & Play methods do not cover the additional autorun entries of TotalMix, the Settings dialog, and the registration of the ASIO driver. These entries can be removed from the registry by a software de-installation request. This request can be found (like all
de-installation entries) in Control Panel, Programs and Features. Click on the entry 'RME MADIface', then Uninstall.
. Unzip the downloaded file and start the driver installation with rmein-
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User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
6.3 Firmware Update
The Flash Update Tool updates the firmware of the Digiface USB to the latest version. It requires an already installed driver.
Start the program fut_mfusb.exe. The Flash Update Tool displays the current revision of the
Digiface USB's firmware, and whether it needs an update or not. If so, then simply press the
'Update' button. A progress bar will indicate when the flash process is finished (Verify Ok).
After the update the Digiface USB needs to be reset. This is done by powering down the Digiface USB for 5 seconds. A reboot of the computer is not necessary.
When the update unexpectedly fails (status: failure), the unit's Safety BIOS will be used from
the next boot on, the unit stays fully functional. The flash process should then be tried again.
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7. Configuring the Digiface USB
7.1 Settings Dialog - General
Configuration of the Digiface USB is done via its own settings dialog. The panel 'Settings' can
be opened:
x by clicking on the fire symbol in the Task Bar's notification area
The mixer of the Digiface USB (TotalMix FX) can be opened:
x by clicking on the FX symbol in the Task Bar's notification area
The hardware of the Digiface USB offers a number of helpful, well thought-out practical functions and options which affect how the card operates. The following is available in the Settings
dialog:
x Latency
x Configuration of the digital I/O
x Current sample rate
x Synchronization behaviour
x State of input and output
Any changes made in the Settings
dialog are applied immediately confirmation (e.g. by clicking on OK
or exiting the dialog) is not required.
However, settings should not be
changed during playback or record if
it can be avoided, as this can cause
unwanted noises.
Also, please note that even in 'Stop'
mode, several programs keep the
recording and playback devices
active, which means that any new
settings might not be applied immediately.
The tab About includes information
about the current driver and firmware
version plus four more options:
Lock Registry
Default: off. Checking this option brings up a dialog to enter a password. Changes in the Settings dialog are no longer written to the registry. As the settings are always loaded from the
registry when starting the computer, this method provides an easy way to define an initial state
for the Digiface USB.
Enable MMCSS for ASIO activates support with higher priority for the ASIO driver. Note: At this
time, activating this option seems to be useful only with the latest Cubase/Nuendo at higher
load. With other software this option can decrease performance. The change becomes active
after an ASIO reset. Therefore it is easy to quickly check which setting works better.
Sort ASIO Devices
Changes the order only of the ASIO channels when using more than one interface.
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User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
Limit ASIO to 32 Channels
Some software crashes when presented with more than 32 ASIO channels. This workaround
removes the phones output, which can still be accessed and used via TotalMix FX.
Buffer Size
The setting Buffer Size determines the latency between incoming and outgoing ASIO and WDM
data, as well as affecting system stability (see chapter 7.1 / 9).
USB Diagnosis shows specific USB transmission errors (CRC5, usually 0) and general errors.
If the unit detects a record or playback error the number shown will no longer be 0. An audio
reset is performed automatically. The counter is reset on start of playback/record. More information can be found in chapter 26.2.
Output Format
Defines the format of the optical output signals. Choices are ADAT and SPDIF.
Options
Output
Removing the crosscheck at TotalMix deactivates TotalMix completely, and activates a 1:1 rout-
ing. All input and output data is going straight to record/coming from playback, with no mixing or
routing involved.
Input
TMS activates the transmission of Channel Status data and Track Marker information from the
SPDIF input signal. DIGICheck allows to read out those information. This feature is not available for input 1.
WDM Devices
Allows to freely set which I/Os are available as WDM devices, if these are stereo or multichannel devices (up to 8 channels), and if one or multiple of the currently active WDM devices
should have the Speaker property. Reduce the number of WDM devices to the ones really
needed to improve performance of the operating system. More details are found in chapter 7.2.
Clock Mode
Sample Rate
Sets the currently used sample rate. Offers a central and comfortable way of configuring the
sample rate of all WDM devices to the same value, as since Vista the audio software is no
longer allowed to set the sample rate. However, an ASIO program can still set the sample rate
by itself.
During record/playback the selection is greyed out, so no change is possible.
Clock Source
The unit can be configured to use its own clock (Internal = Master) or the digital input signal
(Input 1-4 = Slave). If the external source isn't available (Input Status No Lock), the unit will
change to the internal clock. The current clock source is displayed as Current.
Input Status
Indicates presence of a valid signal at the optical input 1-4 (Lock, No Lock) and whether the
signal is synchronous (Sync). The third column shows the sample frequency detected by the
hardware (coarse recognition, 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz etc.). In Clock Mode the clock refer-
ence is shown. See also chapter 26.1.
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7.2 Option WDM Devices
The WDM Devices configuration has one
button to enter the edit dialog, a status
display showing the number of currently
enabled WDM devices, and a listbox to
select between Stereo or Multi-Channel
devices.
The number represents both record and
playback devices, so ‘1’ means one input
and one output device.
The screenshot to the right shows the
stereo WDM devices available with the
Digiface USB, and that only ADAT 1/2
has been activated. Any number can be
activated. Also only higher numbered
devices might be active. For example
using the Phones output for system
based audio does not require to activate
the ADAT stereo devices. Only Phones
will show up in the Windows Sound
control panel.
The checkbox All to the right allows for a
quick check/uncheck of all devices.
The screenshot to the left shows the
multi-channel WDM devices available with
the Digiface USB after selecting ‘MultiChannel’ in the WDM Devices listbox and
hitting WDM Configure. In this example
the devices ADAT 1 to 8 and ADAT 9 to
16 are active.
Using a multi-channel WDM device allows
for the use of multi-channel playback with
specialized software as well as Surround
sound from DVD or Bluray player
software.
Please note that configuring the WDM
device to a specific surround mode in the
control panel Sound requires the device
to have the Speaker property. See next
page.
Again the checkbox All to the right allows
for a quick check/uncheck of all devices.
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User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
Changing to the tab Speaker presents a
list of all currently activated WDM devices. Any of these can now get the
Speaker property.
Please note that defining more than one
device as Speaker usually makes no
sense, and the speakers also don’t get
numbered or renamed in Windows, so it
is impossible to find out which one is
which.
After leaving the dialog with OK the WDM
devices are reloaded so Windows sees
their new properties. You can now assign
any playback mode, from stereo to 7.1, in
the Windows Sound control panel by
selecting the playback device and
clicking the Configure button.
An up to 8-channel playback using the
Windows Media Player requires the
speaker setup 7.1 Surround.
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8. Operation and Usage
8.1 Playback
In the audio application being used, Digiface USB must be selected as output device. It can
often be found in the Options, Preferences or Settings menus, as Playback Device, Audio De-
vices, Audio etc.
Increasing the number and/or size of audio buffers may prevent the audio signal from breaking
up, but also increases latency i.e. output is delayed.
Note
: Since Vista the audio application can no longer control the sample rate under WDM.
Therefore the driver of the Digiface USB includes a way to set the sample rate globally for all
WDM devices, found within the Settings dialog. See chapter 8.1.
8.2 DVD-Playback (AC-3/DTS)
AC-3 / DTS
Popular DVD software players can send their audio data stream to any AC-3/DTS capable receiver via the Digiface USB.
The sample rate must be set to 48 kHz in the Digiface USB Settings dialog, or the software
will only playback a stereo 2-channel downmix via SPDIF.
!
In some cases the Digiface USB output device has to be selected in >Control Panel / Sound /
Playback< and be set as Default, or the software will not recognize it.
The DVD software's audio properties now show the options 'SPDIF Out' or similar. When selecting it, the software will transfer the non-decoded digital multi-channel data stream to the Digiface USB SPDIF output.
Warning
Multichannel
PowerDVD and WinDVD can also operate as software decoder, sending a DVD's multichannel
data stream directly to the analog and digital outputs of the Digiface USB. For this to work se-
lect the WDM playback device ’Loudspeaker’ of the Digiface USB in >Control Panel/ Sound/
Playback < as ‘Standard’. Additionally the loudspeaker setup, found under >Configuration<, has
to be changed from Stereo to 5.1 Surround.
PowerDVD's and WinDVD's audio properties now list several multichannel modes. If one of
these is selected, the software sends the decoded analog multichannel data to the Digiface
USB. On some software it is not necessary to select the Loudspeaker in the Sound panel.
: This 'SPDIF' signal sounds like chopped noise at highest level.
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8.3 Channel Count under WDM
The Digiface USB ADAT optical interface offers sample rates of up to 192 kHz. For this to work
single-channel data is spread to two or four ADAT channels using the Sample Multiplexing tech-
nique. Therefore the number of channels is reduced to 16 or 8 respectively.
Whenever the Digiface USB changes into Double Speed (88.2/96 kHz) or Quad Speed mode
(176.4/192 kHz) all devices no longer available vanish automatically.
WDM devices Double Speed Quad Speed
Digiface USB ADAT (1-8) Digiface USB ADAT (1-4) Digiface USB ADAT (1+2)
Digiface USB ADAT (9-16) Digiface USB ADAT (5-8) Digiface USB ADAT (3+4)
Digiface USB ADAT (17-24) Digiface USB ADAT (9-12) Digiface USB ADAT (5+6)
Digiface USB ADAT (25-32) Digiface USB ADAT (13-16) Digiface USB ADAT (7+8)
8.4 Multi-client Operation
RME audio interfaces support multi-client operation. Several programs can be used at the same
time. The formats ASIO and WDM can even be used on the same playback channels simultaneously. As WDM uses a real-time sample rate conversion (ASIO does not), all active ASIO
software has to use the same sample rate.
However, a better overview is maintained by using the channels exclusively. This is no limitation
at all, because TotalMix allows for any output routing, and therefore a playback of multiple software on the same hardware outputs.
Inputs can be used from an unlimited number of WDM and ASIO software at the same time, as
the driver simply sends the data to all applications simultaneously.
RME's sophisticated tool DIGICheck operates like an ASIO host, using a special technique to
access playback channels directly. Therefore DIGICheck is able to analyse and display playback data from any software, no matter which format it uses.
8.5 Digital Recording
Unlike analog soundcards which produce empty wave files (or noise) when no input signal is
present, digital interfaces always need a valid input signal to start recording. Taking this into
account, RME added a comprehensive I/O signal status display to the Digiface USB, showing
sample frequency, lock and sync status in the Settings dialog, and four status LEDs directly at
the unit.
The sample frequency shown in the
Settings dialog is useful as a quick display
of the current configuration of the unit and
the connected external equipment. If no
sample frequency is recognized, it will read
‘No Lock’.
This way, configuring any suitable audio application for digital recording is simple. After connection the Digiface USB displays the current and external sample frequency. This parameter can
then be changed in the application’s audio attributes (or similar) dialog.
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8.6 Clock Modes - Synchronization
In the digital world, all devices must be either Master (clock source) or Slave (clock receiver).
Whenever several devices are linked within a system, there must always be a single master
clock.
A digital system can only have one master! If the Digiface USB’s clock mode is set to 'Internal', all other devices must be set to ‘Slave’.
!
The Digiface USB utilizes a very user-friendly, intelligent clock control, called AutoSync. Select-
ing Optical as Clock Source, the system constantly scans the digital input for a valid signal. If
any valid signal is found, the Digiface USB switches from the internal quartz (Clock Mode –
Current Internal) to a clock extracted from the input signal (Clock Mode – Current ADAT). The
difference to a usual slave mode is that whenever the clock reference fails, the system will
automatically use its internal clock and operate in clock mode Master.
To cope with some situations which may arise in studio practice, defining a sync reference is
essential. RME’s exclusive SyncCheck technology (first implemented in the Hammerfall) en-
ables an easy to use check and display of the current clock status. Input Status indicates
whether there is a valid signal (Lock, No Lock) for the optical input, or if there is a valid and
synchronous signal (Sync). In the field Clock Mode the clock reference is shown. See chapter
26.1.
Under WDM the Digiface USB will
(has to) set the sample rate. Therefore
the error shown to the right can occur.
A stable signal with a sample rate of
48 kHz is detected (Sync), but
Windows audio had been set to 44100
Hz before. The red color of the text
label signals the error condition, and
prompts the user to set 48000 Hz
manually as sample rate.
Under ASIO the audio software sets the sample rate, so that such an error can not happen. If
the input sample rate is different then there will be no Sync indication.
With RME’s AutoSync and SyncCheck, finally anyone can master this common source of error,
previously one of the most complex issues in the digital studio world.
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9. Operation under ASIO
9.1 General
Start the ASIO software and select ASIO MADIface USB as the audio I/O device or the audio
driver.
The Digiface USB supports ASIO Direct Monitoring (ADM).
9.2 Channel Count under ASIO
The Digiface allows the use of sample rates up to 192 kHz via the ADAT interface. For this to
work single-channel data is spread to two or four channels using the Sample Multiplexing tech-
nique. Therefore the number of channels is reduced to 16 or 8 respectively.
: When changing the sample rate range between Single, Double and Quad Speed the
Note
number of channels presented from the ASIO driver will change too. This may require a reset of
the I/O list in the audio software.
Single Speed Double Speed Quad Speed
Digiface USB ADAT (1-8) Digiface USB ADAT (1-4) Digiface USB ADAT (1+2)
Digiface USB ADAT (9-16) Digiface USB ADAT (5-8) Digiface USB ADAT (3+4)
Digiface USB ADAT (17-24) Digiface USB ADAT (9-12) Digiface USB ADAT (5+6)
Digiface USB ADAT (25-32) Digiface USB ADAT (13-16) Digiface USB ADAT (7+8)
User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
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9.3 Known Problems
If a computer does not provide sufficient CPU-power and/or sufficient USB-bus transfer rates,
then drop outs, crackling and noise will appear. Such effects can be avoided by using a higher
buffer setting/latency in the Settings dialog of the Digiface USB. Furthermore PlugIns should be
deactivated temporarily to make sure they do not cause these problems.
More information can be found in chapter 26.2.
Another common source of trouble is incorrect synchronization. ASIO does not support asynchronous operation, which means that the input and output signals not only have to use the
same sample frequency, but also have to be in sync. All devices connected to the Digiface USB
must be properly configured for Full Duplex operation. As long as SyncCheck (in the Settings
dialog) only displays Lock instead of Sync, the devices have not been set up properly!
The same applies when using more than one Digiface USB - they all have to be in sync. Else a
periodically repeated noise will be heard.
The Digiface USB supports ASIO Direct Monitoring (ADM). Please note that not all programs
support ADM completely or error-free. The most often reported problem is the wrong behaviour
of panorama in a stereo channel. Also try to avoid setting the TotalMix FX hardware outputs
(third row) to mono mode. This will most likely break ADM compatibility.
In case of a drift between audio and MIDI, or in case of a fixed deviation (MIDI notes placed
close before or behind the correct position), the settings in Cubase/Nuendo have to be
changed. At the time of print the option 'Use System Timestamp' should be activated.
10. Using more than one Digiface USB
The current driver supports up to three RME USB devices. All units have to be in sync, i.e. have
to receive valid digital sync information.
x If one of the units is set to clock mode Master, all others have to be set to clock mode
Slave, and have to be synced from the master by feeding ADAT or SPDIF. The clock
modes of all units have to be set up correctly in their Settings dialog.
x If all units are fed with a synchronous clock, i.e. all units show Sync in their Settings dialog,
all channels can be used at once. This is especially easy to use under ASIO, as the ASIO
driver presents all units as one.
Note
: TotalMix is part of the hardware of each RME unit. Up to three mixers are available, but
these are separated and can't interchange data. Therefore a global mixer for all units is not
possible.
Using more than one Digiface USB the USB bus might get overloaded. To prevent this connect
all units to different USB busses. See chapter 26.2 for details.
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11. DIGICheck Windows
The DIGICheck software is a unique utility developed for testing, measuring and analysing digital audio streams. Although this Windows software is fairly self-explanatory, it still includes a
comprehensive online help. DIGICheck 5.92 operates as multi-client ASIO host, therefore can
be used in parallel to any software, with both inputs and outputs (!). The following is a short
summary of the currently available functions:
x Level Meter. High precision 24-bit resolution, 2/8/34 channels. Application examples: Peak
level measurement, RMS level measurement, over-detection, phase correlation measurement, dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratios, RMS to peak difference (loudness), long
term peak measurement, input check. Oversampling mode for levels higher than 0 dBFS.
Supports visualization according to the K-System.
x Hardware Level Meter for Input, Playback and Output. Reference Level Meter freely con-
figurable, causing near zero CPU load, because calculated from the Digiface USB hardware.
x Spectral Analyser. World wide unique 10-, 20- or 30-band display in analog bandpass filter
technology. 192 kHz-capable!
x Vector Audio Scope. World wide unique Goniometer showing the typical afterglow of a
oscilloscope-tube. Includes Correlation meter and level meter.
x Totalyser. Spectral Analyser, Level Meter and Vector Audio Scope in a single window.
x Surround Audio Scope. Professional Surround Level Meter with extended correlation
analysis, ITU weighting and ITU summing meter.
x ITU1770/EBU R128 Meter. For standardized loudness measurements.
x Bit Statistics & Noise. Shows the true resolution of audio signals as well as errors and DC
offset. Includes Signal to Noise measurement in dB and dBA, plus DC measurement.
x Channel Status Display. Detailed analysis and display of SPDIF and AES/EBU Channel
Status data.
x Global Record. Long-term recording of all channels at lowest system load.
x Completely multi-client. Open as many measurement windows as you like, on any chan-
nels and inputs or outputs!
To install DIGICheck, go to the \DIGICheck directory on the RME Driver CD and run setup.exe.
Follow the instructions prompted on the screen.
DIGICheck is constantly updated. The latest version is always a
www.rme-audio.com, section Downloads / DIGICheck.
vailable on our website
User's Guide Digiface USB © RME
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