User's Guide Hammerfall® DSP System HDSPe MADI ™ TotalMix 24 Bit / 192 kHz 9 ™ SyncAlign ZLM ™ ™ SyncCheck ™ SteadyClock PCI Express Digital I/O Card 64 Channels MADI Interface 24 Bit / 192 kHz Digital Audio Stereo Analog Monitoring 128 x 64 Matrix Router 2 x MIDI I/O MIDI embedded in MADI
General 1 2 3 4 5 6 Introduction ...............................................................6 Package Contents .....................................................6 System Requirements ..............................................6 Brief Description and Characteristics.....................6 Hardware Installation................................................7 Hardware – Connectors 6.1 External Connectors ..............................................7 6.2 Internal Connectors.........................
Driver Installation and Operation - Mac OS X 17 Driver and Flash Update 17.1 Driver Installation ................................................. 26 17.2 Driver Update....................................................... 26 17.3 Firmware Update ................................................. 26 18 Configuring the HDSPe MADI 18.1 Settings Dialog..................................................... 27 18.2 Clock Modes – Synchronization .......................... 29 19 Mac OS X FAQ 19.
26 TotalMix: The Matrix 26.1 Overview ..............................................................52 26.2 Elements of the Matrix View ................................52 26.3 Usage ...................................................................52 26.4 Advantages of the Matrix .....................................53 27 TotalMix Super-Features 27.1 ASIO Direct Monitoring (Windows only) ..............53 27.2 Selection and Group based Operation ................54 27.3 Copy Routings to other Channels .....
User's Guide HDSPe MADI General User's Guide HDSPe MADI © RME 5
1. Introduction Thank you for choosing the HDSPe MADI. This unique audio system is capable of transferring digital audio data directly into a computer, from any device equipped with a MADI interface. Installation is simple, even for the inexperienced user, thanks to the latest Plug and Play technology. The numerous unique features and well thought-out configuration dialog puts the Hammerfall DSPe MADI at the very top of the range of digital audio interface cards.
5. Hardware Installation Before installing the PCI Express card, please make sure the computer is switched off and the power cable is disconnected from mains supply. Inserting or removing the card while the computer is in operation can cause irreparable damage to both motherboard and card! 1. Disconnect the power cord and all other cables from the computer. 2. Remove the computer's housing. Further information on how to do this can be obtained from your computer's instruction manual. 3.
6.2 Internal Connectors X402 15-pin connector for the included HDSPe MADI Expansion Board. X403 10-pin connector for a connection of the Time Code Option (TCO). X200 No function. Used to program the card in the factory. X400 Sync In Internal word clock input for synchronization of multiple cards via SYNC OUT. Supported since firmware version 17. X401 Sync Out This 3-pin connector carries an internal word clock signal.
No warranty service is provided when the product is not returned to the local distributor in the region where the product had been originally shipped. Audio AG does not accept claims for damages of any kind, especially consequential damage. Liability is limited to the value of the Hammerfall DSP. The general terms of business drawn up by Audio AG apply at all times. 9. Appendix RME news, driver updates and further product information are available on our website: http://www.rme-audio.
CE / FCC Compliance CE This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits of the European Council Directive on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to electromagnetic compatibility according to RL2004/108/EG. FCC This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
User's Guide HDSPe MADI Driver Installation and Operation - Windows User's Guide HDSPe MADI © RME 11
10. Driver and Firmware 10.1 Driver Installation After the HDSPe MADI has been installed correctly (see 5. Hardware Installation), and the computer has been switched on, Windows will recognize the new hardware component and start its ‘Hardware Wizard’. Insert the RME Driver CD into your CD-ROM drive, and follow further instructions which appear on your computer screen. The driver files are located in the directory \WDM on the RME Driver CD.
10.4 Firmware Update The Flash Update Tool updates the HDSPe MADI to the latest firmware version. It requires an already installed driver. Start the program pcie_fut.exe. The Flash Update Tool displays the current revision of the HDSPe MADI, and whether it needs an update or not. If so, then please press the 'Update' button. A progress bar will indicate when the flash process is finished. The bar moves slowly first (program), then faster (verify).
11. Configuring the HDSPe MADI 11.1 Settings Dialog Configuration of the HDSPe MADI is done via its own settings dialog.
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.
About This tab includes information about the driver and the card’s firmware version. Lock Registry uses a password to prevent changes of the settings stored in the registry. All settings are still changeable temporarily. As the settings are always loaded from the registry when starting the computer, this method provides an easy way to define a specific initial state of the HDSP system. 11.
11.3 Clock Modes - Synchronisation 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 card’s clock mode is set to 'Master', all other devices must be set to ‘Slave’. The HDSPe MADI utilizes a very user-friendly, intelligent clock control, called AutoSync.
12. Operation and Usage 12.1 Playback The HDSP system can play back audio data in supported formats only (sample rate, bit resolution). Otherwise an error message appears (for example at 22 kHz and 8 bit). In the audio application being used, HDSP must be selected as output device. This can often be found in the Options, Preferences or Settings menus under Playback Device, Audio Devices, Audio etc. We strongly recommend switching off all system sounds (via >Control Panel /Sounds<).
12.2 DVD-Playback (AC-3/DTS) AC-3 / DTS When using popular DVD software players like WinDVD and PowerDVD, their audio data stream can be sent to any AC-3/DTS capable receiver via the HDSPe MADI. For this to work an output wave device has to be selected in >Control Panel/ Sounds and Multimedia/ Audio< or >Control Panel/ Sound/Playback<. Also check 'use preferred device only'. The DVD software's audio properties now show the options 'SPDIF Out' or similar.
12.3 Notes on WDM The driver offers a WDM streaming device per stereo pair, like HDSP MADI (1+2). WDM streaming is Microsoft's current driver and audio system. WDM streaming is hardly usable for professional music purposes, as all data is processed by the Kernel Mixer, causing a latency of at least 30 ms. Additionally, WDM can perform sample rate conversions unnoticed, cause offsets between record and playback data, block channels unintentionally and much more.
12.5 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 HDSPe MADI, showing sample frequency, lock and sync status for every input.
13. Operation under ASIO 13.1 General Start the ASIO software and select ASIO Hammerfall DSP as the audio I/O device. The HDSP system supports ASIO Direct Monitoring (ADM). The HDSPe MADI’s MIDI I/O can be used with both MME MIDI and DirectMusic MIDI. At a sample rate of 88.2 or 96 kHz (Double Speed mode), the number of channels available at the MADI input and output is halved. At a sample rate of 176.4 or 192 kHz (Quad Speed mode), the number of channels is reduced to 16.
14. Using multiple HDSPe MADI The current driver supports operation of up to three HDSPe MADI. All cards of the HDSP and HDSPe system use the same driver, therefore can be used at the same time. All units have to be in sync, i.e. have to receive valid sync information either via word clock or by using AutoSync and feeding synchronized signals.
16. Hotline – Troubleshooting The newest information can always be found on our website www.rme-audio.com, section FAQ, Latest Additions. The dialog 'New hardware component found’ does not appear: • Check whether the PCI Express interface is correctly inserted in the PCI Express slot. The card and drivers have been installed correctly, but playback does not work: • Check whether the Hammerfall DSP appears in the Device Manager.
User's Guide HDSPe MADI Driver Installation and Operation – Mac OS X User's Guide HDSPe MADI © RME 25
17. Driver and Flash Update 17.1 Driver Installation First fit the card (see 5. Hardware Installation), then switch on the computer and install the drivers from the RME Driver CD. The driver file is located in the folder HDSPe Series. Installation works automatically by a double-click on the file HDSPe.pkg. RME recommends to download the latest driver version from the RME website! If done, the procedure is as follows: Double-click onto hdspe_x86_xx.
18. Configuring the HDSPe MADI 18.1 Settings Dialog Configuring the HDSPe MADI is done via its own settings dialog. The panel 'Settings' can be opened by clicking on the hammer icon in the dock. The mixer of the HDSPe MADI, TotalMix, can be opened by clicking on the mixer icon in the dock. The Hammerfall DSP’s hardware offers a number of helpful, well thought-of practical functions and options which affect how the card operates - it can be configured to suit many different requirements.
Clock Mode The unit can be configured to use its internal clock source (Master), or the clock source pre-defined via Pref. Sync Ref (AutoSync). Pref. Sync Ref. Used to pre-select the desired clock source. If the selected source isn't available, the unit will change to the next available one. The current clock source and sample rate is displayed in the AutoSync Reference display. The automatic clock selection checks and changes between the clock sources Word Clock, MADI, TCO and Sync In.
18.2 Clock Modes - Synchronisation AutoSync The HDSPe MADI has been equipped with AutoSync, an automatic clock source selection, which adopts the first available input with a valid digital signal as the clock reference input. The input currently used as sync reference is shown in the AutoSync Ref status field, together with its current sample frequency. AutoSync guarantees that normal record and record-while-play will always work correctly.
19. Mac OS X FAQ 19.1 Round about Driver Installation The driver with the file suffix zip provided by RME is a compressed archive. Zip is directly supported by OS X, a double click on the file is all one needs to do. The driver consists of a package file (pkg). A double click will start the OS X installer. The actual audio driver appears as a kernel extension file. The installer copies it to >System/ Library/ Extensions<. Its name is HDSPMADI.kext.
19.5 Various Information The driver requires 10.5.8 or higher. Via >System Preferences/ Audio-MIDI Setup< the hardware can be configured for the system wide usage. Programs that don't support card or channel selection will use the device selected as Standard-Input and Standard-Output. (Soundstudio, Mplayer, Amplitube etc.). In the lower part of the window, the audio hardware's capabilities are shown and can be changed in some cases. On the record side no changes are possible.
21. DIGICheck Mac 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 0.65 operates in parallel to any software, showing all input data. The following is a short summary of the currently available functions: • Level Meter. High precision 24-bit resolution, 2/8/18 channels.
User's Guide HDSPe MADI Connections and TotalMix User's Guide HDSPe MADI © RME 33
23. Connections 23.1 Headphones HDSPe MADI offers a hi-quality analog monitor output. The short circuit protected stereo line output provides high output level, low impedance, and is available via a 6.3 mm (1/4") TRS jack. Therefore it is also suitable for a direct use with headphones. The analog output is directly driven from the channels 63/64, in Double Speed mode with channels 31/32, in Quad Speed mode with channels 15/16.
23.3 MIDI The HDSPe MADI offers two MIDI I/O via 5-pin DIN connectors. The MIDI ports are added to the system by the driver. Using MIDI capable software, these ports can be accessed under the name MADI MIDI. Using more than one HDSPe MADI, a consecutive number is added to the port name, like MADI MIDI In 1 (2) etc. The third software-only MIDI port, MADI MIDI In 3 (1) and MADI MIDI Out 3 (1), receives and transmits MIDI data via MADI.
The received word clock signal can be distributed to other devices by using the word clock output. With this the usual T-adapter can be avoided, and the HDSPe MADI operates as Signal Refresher. This kind of operation is highly recommended, because • • • • input and output are phase-locked and in phase (0°) to each other SteadyClock removes nearly all jitter from the input signal the exceptional input (1 Vpp sensitivity instead of the usual 2.
The actual end of these problems is offered by the SteadyClock technology of the HDSPe MADI. Combining the advantages of modern and fastest digital technology with analog filter techniques, re-gaining a low jitter clock signal of 22 MHz from a slow word clock of 44.1 kHz is no problem anymore. Additionally, jitter on the input signal is highly rejected, so that even in real world usage the re-gained clock signal is of highest quality.
24.4 Operation The HDSPe MADI's word clock input is active when Pref. Sync Ref in the Settings dialog has been set to Word Clock, the clock mode AutoSync has been activated, and a valid word clock signal is present. The signal at the BNC input can be Single, Double or Quad Speed, the HDSP automatically adapts to it. As soon as a valid signal is detected, the green LED at the bracket is lit, and the Settings dialog shows either Lock or Sync (see chapter 30.2).
25. TotalMix: Routing and Monitoring 25.1 Overview The HDSPe MADI includes a powerful digital real-time mixer, the Hammerfall DSP mixer, based on RME’s unique, sample-rate independent TotalMix technology. It allows for practically unlimited mixing and routing operations, with all inputs and playback channels simultaneously, to any hardware outputs. Here are some typical applications for TotalMix: • Setting up delay-free submixes (headphone mixes).
User's Guide HDSPe MADI © RME
25.2 The User Interface The visual design of the TotalMix mixer is a result of its capability to route hardware inputs and software playback channels to any hardware output. The HDSPe MADI provides 64 input channels, 64 software playback channels, and 64 hardware output channels: For best screen display the channels have been arranged in three rows as known from an Inline desk, so that the row Software Playback equals the Tape Return of a real mixing desk: • Top row: Hardware inputs.
25.3 Elements of a Channel A single channel consists of various elements: Input channels and playback channels each have a mute and solo button. Below there is the panpot, realized as indicator bar (L/R) in order to save space. In the field below, the present level is displayed in RMS or Peak, being updated about every half a second. Overs (overload) are indicated here by an additional red dot. Next is the fader with a level meter.
As shown it is very easy to set up a specific submix for whatever output: select output channel, set up fader and pans of inputs and playbacks – ready! For advanced users sometimes it makes sense to work without Submix View. Example: you want to see and set up some channels of different submixes simultaneously, without the need to change between them all the time. Switch off the Submix View by a click on the green button.
You will certainly have noticed that the signal at the outputs 7/8 did not change while you were routing channel 4 to other outputs and setting different gain values for those. With all analog and most digital mixing desks, the fader setting would affect the level for every routed bus - not so for TotalMix. TotalMix allows for setting all fader values individually. Therefore the faders and the panpots jump to the appropriate setting as soon as another routing is chosen.
25.7 The Quick Access Panel This section includes additional options, further improving the handling of TotalMix. The Master buttons for Mute and Solo have already been described, they allow for group-based working with these functions. In the View section the single mixer rows can be made visible or invisible. If the inputs are not needed for a pristine playback mix, the whole upper row falls out of the picture after a click on the Input button.
Mouse: The original factory presets can be reloaded by holding down the Ctrl-key and clicking on any preset button. Alternatively the files described above can be renamed, moved to a different directory, or being deleted. Keyboard: Using Ctrl and any number between 1 and 8 (not on the numeric keypad) will load the corresponding factory default preset. The key Alt will load the user presets instead. When loading a preset file, for example 'Main Monitor AN 1_2 plus headphone mix 3_4.
25.9 The Monitor Panel The Monitor panel provides several options usually found on analog mixing desks. It offers quick access to monitoring functions which are needed all the time in typical studio work. Monitor Main Use the drop down menu to select the hardware outputs where your main monitors are connected to. Dim A click on this button will lower the volume of the Monitor Main output by an amount set up in the Preferences dialog (see below).
MIDI Controller MIDI Input: Input where TotalMix receives MIDI Remote data. MIDI Output: Output where TotalMix sends MIDI Remote data. Mackie Control Options Enable Protocol Support: When disabled TM FX will only react on the Control Change commands of chapter 28.5. Enable full LCD support: Activates full Mackie Control LCD support with eight channel names and eight volume/pan values. Send Level Messages: Activates the transmission of the level meter data. Stereo Pan Law The Pan Law can be set to -6 dB, -4.
25.12 Hotkeys In many situations TotalMix can be controlled quickly and comfortably by the keyboard, making the mixer setup considerably easier and faster. The Shift-key for the fine mode for faders and panpots has already been mentioned. The Ctrl-key can do far more than changing the routing pairwise: • Clicking anywhere into the fader area with the Ctrl-key pressed, sets the fader to 0 dB. • Clicking anywhere into the pan area with the Ctrl-key pressed, sets the panorama to meaning Center.
25.13 Menu Options Always on Top: When active (checked) the TotalMix window will always be on top of the Windows desktop. Note: This function may result in problems with windows containing help text, as the TotalMix window will even be on top of those windows, so the help text isn't readable. Deactivate Screensaver: When active (checked) any activated Windows screensaver will be disabled temporarily. Ignore Position: When active, the windows size and position stored in a file or preset will not be used.
25.15 Level Meter The HDSPe MADI calculates all the display values Peak, Over and RMS in hardware, in order to be capable of using them independent of the software in use, and to significantly reduce the CPU load. Tip: This feature, the Hardware Level Meter, is used by DIGICheck (see chapter 15/21) to display Peak/RMS level meters of all channels, nearly without any CPU load. The level meters integrated in TotalMix - considering their size - cannot be compared with DIGICheck.
26. TotalMix: The Matrix 26.1 Overview The mixer window of TotalMix looks and operates similar to mixing desks, as it is based on a conventional stereo design. The matrix display presents a different method of assigning and routing channels, based on a single channel or monaural design. The matrix view of the HDSP has the looks and works like a conventional patchbay, adding functionality way beyond comparable hardware and software solutions.
A blue field indicates phase inversion. This state is displayed in the Matrix only, and can only be changed within the Matrix view. Hold down the Shift-key while clicking on an already activated field. Mute overwrites the phase display, blue becomes orange. If mute is deactivated the phase inversion is indicated again. 26.
27.2 Selection and Group-based Operation Click on the grey name label of channel 1 and 2 in TotalMix. Be sure to have channel 3's fader set to a different position and click on its label too. All three labels have changed to the colour orange, which means they are selected. Now moving any of these faders will make the other faders move too. This is called 'building a group of faders', or ganging faders, maintaining their relative position.
27.5 Recording a Subgroup (Loopback) TotalMix supports a routing of the subgroup outputs (=hardware outputs, bottom row) to the recording software. Instead of the signal at the hardware input, the signal at the hardware output is sent to the record software. This way, complete submixes can be recorded without an external loopback cable. Also the playback of a software can be recorded by another software. To activate this function, click on the grey label in the third row while holding down the Ctrl-key.
Recording a Software's playback In real world application, recording a software's output with another software will show the following problem: The record software tries to open the same playback channel as the playback software (already active), or the playback one has already opened the input channel which should be used by the record software. This problem can easily be solved.
Unfortunately, very often it is not possible within the record software to assign a different input channel to an existing track 'on the fly'. The loopback mode solves this problem elegantly. The routing scheme stays the same, with the input channel 10 sent to any output via TotalMix, to the Compressor, from the Compressor back to any input. Now this input signal is routed directly to output 10, and output 10 is then switched into loopback mode via Ctrl-mouse. As explained in chapter 27.
28. TotalMix MIDI Remote Control 28.1 Overview TotalMix can be remote controlled via MIDI. It is compatible to the widely spread Mackie Control protocol, so TotalMix can be controlled with all hardware controllers supporting this standard. Examples are the Mackie Control, Tascam US-2400 or Behringer BCF 2000. Additionally, the stereo output faders (lowest row) which are set up as Monitor Main outputs in the Monitor panel can also be controlled by the standard Control Change Volume via MIDI channel 1.
28.3 Setup • Open the Preferences dialog (menu Options or F3). Select the MIDI Input and MIDI Output port where your controller is connected to. • When no feedback is needed (when using only standard MIDI commands instead of Mackie Control protocol) select NONE as MIDI Output. • Check Enable MIDI Control in the Options menu. 28.4 Operation The channels being under MIDI control are indicated by a colour change of the info field below the faders, black turns to yellow.
28.5 Simple MIDI Control The stereo output faders (lowest row) which are set up as Monitor Main outputs in the Monitor panel can also be controlled by the standard Control Change Volume via MIDI channel 1. With this, the main volume of the HDSPe MADI is controllable from nearly any MIDI equipped hardware device. Even if you don't want to control all faders and pans, some buttons are highly desired to be available in 'hardware'.
Examples for sending MIDI strings*: - Set input 1 to 0 dB: B0 66 40 - Set input 17 to maximum attenuation: B1 66 0 - Set playback 1 to maximum: B4 66 7F - Set Output 16 to 0 dB: B8 75 40 *Note: Sending MIDI strings requires the use of programmer's logic for the MIDI channel, starting with 0 for channel 1 and ending with 15 for channel 16. 28.6 Loopback Detection The Mackie Control protocol requires feedback of the received commands, back to the hardware controller.
User's Guide HDSPe MADI © RME
User's Guide HDSPe MADI Technical Reference User's Guide HDSPe MADI © RME 63
29. Technical Specifications 29.1 Inputs MADI • Coaxial via BNC, 75 Ohm, according to AES10-1991 • High-sensitivity input stage (< 0.2 Vpp) • Optical via FDDI duplex SC connector • 62.
Stereo Monitor Output (Phones) • Signal to Noise ratio (SNR): 115 dB RMS unweighted, 118 dBA @ 44.1 kHz (unmuted) • THD: < - 104 dB, < 0.00063 % • THD+N: < -102 dB, < 0.0008 % • Crosstalk: > 100 dB • Frequency response @ 44.1 kHz, -0.5 dB: 5 Hz – 22 kHz • Frequency response @ 96 kHz, -0.5 dB: 5 Hz – 45.9 kHz • Frequency response @ 192 kHz, -1 dB: 5 Hz – 66.5 kHz • Output: 6.3 mm / 1/4" TRS jack • Output impedance: 75 Ohm • Output level @ 0 dBFS: +13 dBu 29.
30. Technical Background 30.1 MADI Basics MADI, the serial Multichannel Audio Digital Interface, has been defined already in 1989 as an extension of the existing AES3 standard following several manufacturers' wish. The format also known as AES/EBU, a balanced bi-phase signal, is limited to two channels. Simply put, MADI contains 28 of those AES/EBU signals in serial, i. e. after one another, and the sample rate can still even vary by +/-12.5%. The limit which cannot be exceeded is a data rate of 100Mbit/s.
30.2 Lock and SyncCheck Digital signals consist of a carrier and the data. If a digital signal is applied to an input, the receiver has to synchronize to the carrier clock in order to read the data correctly. To achieve this, the receiver uses a PLL (Phase Locked Loop). As soon as the receiver meets the exact frequency of the incoming signal, it is locked. This Lock state remains even with small changes of the frequency, because the PLL tracks the receiver's frequency.
30.3 Latency and Monitoring The term Zero Latency Monitoring has been introduced by RME in 1998 for the DIGI96 series of audio cards. It stands for the ability to pass-through the computer's input signal at the interface directly to the output. Since then, the idea behind has become one of the most important features of modern hard disk recording.
Because the HDSPe MADI is a completely digital interface, and the delays introduced by external AD/DA-converters or other digital interfaces are unknown to unit and driver, the drivers include the digital offset values (3 / 6 / 12 samples). Therefore the delays caused by external converters have to be taken care off in the record software, which usually means that the user has to enter specific offset values manually.
30.5 QS – Quad Speed Due to the small number of available devices that use sample rates up to 192 kHz, but even more due to a missing real world application (CD...), Quad Speed has had no broad success so far. An implementation of the ADAT format as double S/MUX (S/MUX4) results in only two channels per optical output. Devices using this method are few.
30.6 SteadyClock The SteadyClock technology of the HDSPe MADI guarantees an excellent performance in all clock modes. Its highly efficient jitter suppression refreshes and cleans up any clock signal, and provides it as reference clock at the word clock output. Usually a clock section consists of an analog PLL for external synchronization and several quartz oscillators for internal synchronisation. SteadyClock requires only one quartz, using a frequency not equalling digital audio.
30.7 Terminology Single Speed Sample rate range originally used in Digital Audio. Typical applications are 32 kHz (digital radio broadcast), 44.1 kHz (CD), and 48 kHz (DAT). Double Speed Doubles the original sample rate range, in order to achieve higher audio quality and improved audio processing. 64 kHz is practically never used, 88.2 kHz is quite rare in spite of certain advantages. 96 kHz is a common format. Sometimes called Double Fast.
