Terratec PHASE88RACK User Manual
TERRATEC PRODUCER PHASE 88 Rack FW
English Manual
Version 0.1, last revised: Oktober 2004
CE Declaration
We:
TerraTec Electronic GmbH, Herrenpfad 38, D-41334 Nettetal, Germany
hereby declare that the product:
TerraTec Producer PHASE 88 Rack FW,
to which this declaration refers is in compliance with the following standards or standard-
izing documents:
1. EN 55013
2. EN 55020
The following are the stipulated operating and environmental conditions for said compli-
ance:
residential, business and commercial environments and small-company environments.
This declaration is based on:
Test report(s) of the EMC testing laboratory
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and shall not be deemed as a
warranty by the seller. No warranties, express or implied, are made with regard to the quality, suit-
ability or accuracy of this document. The manufacturer reserves the right to change the contents of
this document and/or the associated products at any time without the provision of prior notice to
specific persons or organizations. The manufacturer shall not be held liable for damages of any
kind arising from the use, or the inability to use this product or its documentation, even if the possi-
bility of such damage is known. The information in this document is subject to copyright. All rights
are reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any pur-
pose without the express written permission of the copyright holders. Product and brand names
contained in this document are used for identification purposes only. All registered trademarks,
product designations or brand names used in this document are the registered property of their
respective owners.
®
©TerraTec
Electronic GmbH, 1994 - 2004. All rights are reserved (18.10.04).
2 PHASE 88 Rack FW (English)
Safety note:
When connecting analog devices, ensure that the power is off to protect your
speakers and your hearing from sudden peaks. For digital devices, be sure to at
least lower the volume on your playback equipment. Connecting the device to the
FireWire™ port of your computer may also cause a noise—please turn down the
volume of your playback system accordingly.
PHASE 88 Rack FW (English) 3
Contents
Welcome!......................................................................................................................... 6
From opening the package to installation .................................................................... 8
Scope of delivery........................................................................................................... 8
The setup—Short and simple for busy professionals. ................................................... 9
Notes for Windows users........................................................................................... 9
Notes for Macintosh users ......................................................................................... 9
The PHASE 88 Rack FW module...................................................................................10
Windows installation—step by step.............................................................................13
Which operating system? .............................................................................................13
Power supply................................................................................................................13
Installing the PHASE 88 Rack FW drivers in Windows XP...........................................13
The PHASE 88 Rack FW as a system audio device (Windows)...................................15
Updating the firmware (Windows) ................................................................................16
Mac installation—step by step......................................................................................17
Which operating system? .............................................................................................17
Power supply................................................................................................................17
Installing the PHASE 88 Rack FW driver in OS X ........................................................17
The PHASE 88 Rack FW as a system audio device (Mac OS X).................................17
Updating the firmware (Mac OS X)...............................................................................17
The FireWire™ port .......................................................................................................18
The connections of the PHASE 88 Rack FW audio system. .......................................19
Analog outputs.............................................................................................................19
Analog inputs. ..............................................................................................................19
Intermezzo: a cable and signal primer ......................................................................20
Digital interface (S/PDIF, RAW, AC3). .........................................................................21
MIDI interface...............................................................................................................21
Word clock I/O .............................................................................................................22
The Windows drivers.....................................................................................................23
The WDM audio driver .................................................................................................23
Windows default device for playback ........................................................................23
Surround playback—analog and digital (AC3/DTS) ..................................................23
DirectSound and MME..............................................................................................23
WDM sample rate interpolation.................................................................................24
WDM kernel streaming.............................................................................................24
The ASIO driver ...........................................................................................................24
The Gigastudio (GSIF) driver .......................................................................................25
4 PHASE 88 Rack FW (English)
Multi-client applications................................................................................................ 26
The MIDI drivers .......................................................................................................... 28
The Mac OS X drivers ...................................................................................................29
The PHASE 88 Rack FW Control Panel........................................................................ 31
The hardware digital mixer....................................................................................... 31
Master Clock ............................................................................................................ 34
Line / Microphone..................................................................................................... 34
The ASIO Control Panel........................................................................................... 35
Color Settings .......................................................................................................... 35
Scenes and stand-alone operation........................................................................... 36
About ....................................................................................................................... 36
Tips, tricks & things worth knowing............................................................................ 37
Always right on time—digital synchronization........................................................... 37
Useful information about digital cables (optical waveguides and AES/EBU)............. 37
Appendix A—Technical Data........................................................................................ 38
Appendix B—Schematic diagram of analog section channel 7/8.............................. 39
PHASE 88 Rack FW (English) 5
Welcome!
We're pleased that you've chosen a TerraTec Producer audio interface for your musical
endeavors and would like to congratulate you on your decision. With the PHASE 88 Rack
FW audio system, you've purchased a sophisticated piece of state-of-the-art studio
equipment. Thanks to its wealth of options and proven technology, it will serve you well—
both in demanding studio environments and day-to-day home recording for years to co-
me.
We hope that this brochure is helpful to you while using the product. It is designed to
illustrate technical relationships based on practical examples from the studio environment.
This brochure is not only designed to help beginners with this complicated subject—
advanced musicians will also find the occasional bit of useful information.
We hope you find this manual both informative and entertaining to read, and hope you
find lots of pleasure in the PHASE 88 RACK FW audio system.
Sincerely,
Your TerraTec Producer Team
6 PHASE 88 Rack FW (English)
Here's an overview of what you can expect to find when you unpack the box:
Your new audio interface: the PHASE 88 Rack FW
Connection options and sound. The PHASE 88 Rack FW audio system is well-
equipped with professional connection options—including eight balanced analog inputs
and outputs, two microphone inputs, two separate MIDI interfaces, one 2-channel digital
input and output each, and a word clock I/O—that will soon make the PHASE 88 Rack
FW the hub of your home or project studio. Selected 24-bit/96 kHz converter modules, a
signal-to-noise ratio of no less than 110dB(A) at the analog outputs and a sophisticated
board design are the basis for crystal-clear recording and the playback of high-resolution
5.1/7.1 surround productions.
For everything you need to know about connections, see Ü page 19.
Complex routing—very easy. As you know, a professional audio system is no sound
card for wild-eyed gamers, but the heart of your day-to-day studio work with your PC. And
despite the extensive routing options, the PHASE software always provides you with a
clear overview and—depending on the complexity of your switching needs—remains
transparent and intuitive.
For everything you need to know about the PHASE Control Panel, see Ü page 31.
The drivers provided for the PHASE 88 RACK FW System, too, leave nothing to be
desired. A highly developed software architecture guarantees problem-free use with all
modern Windows and Apple operating systems.
The ASIO and GSIF (GigaStudio) drivers—thoroughly proven throughout years of studio
application—allow the lowest possible latency between the (software-based) sound gen-
eration and output/inputs.
For the details on driver use, please turn to Ü page 23.
PHASE 88 Rack FW (English) 7
From opening the package to installation
Safety note:
When connecting analog devices, ensure that the power is off to protect your
speakers and your hearing from sudden peaks. For digital devices, be sure to at
least lower the volume on your playback equipment. Connecting the device to the
FireWire™ port of your computer may also cause a noise—please turn down the
volume of your playback system accordingly.
Before running cables to the PHASE 88 RACK FW audio system, take note of any special
points pertaining to the configuration of your computer. Also refer to the manual of your
computer and other studio peripheral devices for their settings.
If you follow the instructions, the installation should run without any problems. If you are
experiencing difficulties all the same, please review carefully the relevant chapter in this
manual.
Our service hotline team will be happy to help you if you have any other questions about
the product. The phone numbers can be found in the Appendix of this documentation.
Scope of delivery
Start by making sure that the contents of the package are complete.
The PHASE 88 Rack FW system package should contain the following items:
n
PHASE 88 Rack FW 19'' module
n
4 m IEEE 1394 FireWire™ cable (6-pin to 6-pin)
n
1 IEEE 1394 FireWire™ adapter (4-pin/6-pin)
n
WordClock multi-connector adapter cable (D-sub 15-pin – 2 x BNC)
n
External power adapter, primary 230VAC/50Hz (EUR and UK type) or 115VAC/60Hz
(US type) to secondary 12VAC/1.5A
n
PHASE 88 CD-ROM (driver and software)
n
this manual
n
service request form
n
registration documents
n
Besonic Premium Account
Please fill out and return the registration card enclosed in the package to us at your earli-
est convenience or register online at www.terratec.net/register.htm
for support and hotline services.
8 PHASE 88 Rack FW (English)
. This is important
The setup—Short and simple for busy professionals.
n The driver installation in Windows XP (and later) follows the established defaults set
by the operating system manufacturer. You can find the drivers on the accompanying
CD-ROM or on the Internet at www.terratec.com/
Notes for Windows users
n
The drivers have not been certified by Microsoft. You will receive a warning to this
effect in Windows, which you can safely ignore. You can continue the installation
without concern. If you are prompted to connect to Windows Internet Update (XP
SP2 or higher), continue the installation without updating.
n
After installing the drivers, open the “Device Manager” and check for yellow exclamation marks.
n
The PHASE Control Panel is automatically installed together with the drivers. The
functionality of the audio system is restricted when using the standard Windows Mixer.
The PHASE 88 Rack FW Control Panel provides access to the audio system's full
range of functions.
in the SUPPORT area.
n
The WDM audio drivers can be selected in the applications as usual. ASIO and GSIF
(GigaStudio) drivers are available in compatible programs; WDM kernel streaming is
“not visible”, i.e. it is always available for applications and cannot be selected
explicitly.
n
The device driver of the PHASE 88 Rack FW System now features full multi-client
support. For more information see Ü page 26.
n
Multiple systems cannot be cascaded at present.
Notes for Macintosh users
n
The PHASE 88 Rack FW system is shipped with driver support for Apple MAC OS 10
(OS X). OS X version 10.3.4 or higher is required when using the audio system.
n
The audio and MIDI connection using OS 10 (X) is built exclusively on the OS10 core
audio/MIDI concept.
n
Multiple cards cannot be cascaded at present.
PHASE 88 Rack FW (English) 9
The PHASE 88 Rack FW module
The PHASE 88 Rack FW front panel
1 Microphone channel 7 (balanced, XLR)
2 Microphone channel 8 (balanced, XLR)
3 MIDI 1 IN
4 MIDI 1 OUT
5 Gain control, channel 1-6 (Line In)
6 Gain control, channel 7 + 8 (Line or Microphone)
7 Clipping LED, channel 1-8
8 Signal LED, channel 1-8
9 Button 48V phantom power, microphone inputs 7 and 8
10 Signal LED, phantom power
11 Power LED
10 PHASE 88 Rack FW (English)
The PHASE 88 Rack FW rear panel
1 MIDI 2 IN
2 MIDI 2 OUT
3 Analog OUT 1-8 (balanced, ¼" jack)
4 Analog IN 1-8 (balanced, 1/4" jack)
5 WordClock IN/OUT connection
6 Optical digital input (TOS link)
7 Optical digital output (TOS link)
8+9 IEEE 1394a FireWire™ ports (6-pin)
10 LED IEEE1394: FireWire™(IEEE 1394) communication is active
11 LED Word-Clk.: WordClock is selected as the external clock source
12 LED: Ext.-Clk: Device has been synchronized with an external clock source
(WordClock or S/PDIF)
13 LED Sync: The hardware is running, as a valid clock signal (internal or external) is
available
14 Power adapter input (12VAC, 1.5A min. external)
PHASE 88 Rack FW (English) 11
The PHASE 88 Rack FW audio system features 8 analog inputs and as many outputs—
all studio-standard 1/4" jack connectors. The included FireWire™ cable (6-pin/6-pin)
connects the unit to the computer. With a length of 4 meters, the cable is long enough to
cover greater distances. And just in case, we've included a 6-pin/4-pin adapter.
And if you no longer have the possibility to connect the PHASE 88 Rack FW module to a
computer with a FireWire™ port for any reason, that does not mean you will have to live
without the convenience of this audio system. The device can easily be converted to a
PCI card connection (The PCI version is also available as a separate model with the
designation PHASE 88 Rack—without the “FW”). The interface unit is a modular design,
therefore the board is simple to replace. We would nevertheless like to ask you to leave
the upgrade to an expert, as opening the housing will otherwise void your warranty. And
by the way—the digital connections will be moved from the rack unit to the PCI card.
One additional note: please use the included 12V AC adapter to power the rack module.
We've grown used to bus-powered systems in the age of FireWire™ and USB—just plug
in the cable and the device's power needs are also taken care of—but that's not the case
here. Well, then: don't be surprised if the Power LED doesn't come on immediately—just
plug in the AC adapter. (Of course, most of our users won't need these instructions, but
maybe they will save one or two from having to call our helpline unnecessarily.)
And finally, a note for the gearheads: Designing the PHASE 88 as a 19" rack module has
the advantage of providing more room for technology than the older version with the 5 ¼"
breakout box. As a result, the already good channel separation could be improved further,
making crosstalk between the individual channels even less of an issue than before.
12 PHASE 88 Rack FW (English)
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