F. A. Q. - Frequently Asked Questions

Product | SoundSystem DMX
Status | 01/26/2000
Version | 1.14
Questions and Answers | 24

Please ensure that you are using the latest driver versions.
You can obtain the latest drivers from our webpage or from the TerraTec FTP-Server.

Internet | TerraTec Electronic GmbH
http://www.terratec.net | Herrenpfad 38
ftp://ftp.terratec.de | D-41334 Nettetal, Germany

An Overview of the Questions

Question 1:
Do I need to set jumpers and change the switch settings before I install the sound card?
Question 2:
I can't change the IRQ of my DMX in the Device Manager.
Question 3:
The sound card produces no sound.
Question 4:
How can I record from my hi-fi system?
Question 5:
After installing the sound card, the sound effects from my previously installed games are still being played through the PC internal speaker.
Question 6:
Why is there continual background noise coming through the speakers?
Question 7:
Ever since I connected my sound card to my stereo system, you can hear a constant hum.
Question 8:
Is the sound card's MIDI port compatible with the Roland MPU-401 standard?
Question 9:
Using MPU-401 mode (General MIDI, Roland Sound Canvas, or the like) causes a system crash in systems with an older SCSI controller.
Question 10:
MIDI files played back using DMX do not sound true to the original even though a wavetable is connected to the sound card.
Question 11:
A keyboard connected to the sound card doesn't work.
Question 12:
Where can I get new drivers and utilities for my sound card?
Question 13:
There is no feedback signal to my ForceFeedback joystick.
Question 14:
After installing the ActiveRadio software, I get the message 'Error initializing Hardware'.
Question 15:
I can't get the MacroFX effect to work.
Question 16:
WAV files played by DMX sound overmodulated.

Question 17:
I can't install Windows NT drivers.

Question 18:
The specified mixer settings have no effect on the ControlPanel.

Question 19:
I can't start applications through the ControlPanel.

Question 20:
During installation no drivers were found.

Question 21:
Channels are mixed up for digital outputs.

Question 22:
When I try to record something over the digital inputs,
I get the error message " Sample rate is not supported".

Question 23:
There is a small cable the packing and i don't know what to do with it.

Question 24:
When I install the DMX in a Athlon system, my computer hangs up.

Question 1:

Do I need to set jumpers and change the switch settings before I install the sound card?

Answer 1:

All card functions are plug and play and correspond to Intel/Microsoft specifications. There are no jumpers or switches to be set for IRQs, DMA channels and addresses. You can turn off the booster using the jumper. This changes the speaker jacks to unamplified LINE-OUT jacks.

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Question 2:

I can't change the IRQ of my DMX in the Device Manager.

Answer 2:

PCI cards are controlled by the computer's BIOS. Place the card into another PCI slot. It should now be assigned another IRQ. If there are no other free PCI slots, you could exchange the card with another one. If this doesn't help, take a look at your IOrecorder from Windows 95/98. This software contains a switch to start recordings. It usually looks like a red point. Press it to start recording.

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Question 5:

After installing the sound card, the sound effects from my previously installed games are still being played through the PC internal speaker.

Answer 5:

This can be remedied by changing the game configuration. Start the game's setup routine and set the effects and music card to Soundblaster Pro. If there are questions, please read the game's operating instructions/readme file.

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Question 6:

Why is there continual background noise coming through the speakers?

Answer 6:

When the sound card was being designed, value was placed on incorporating the best audio properties. Nevertheless, it is still possible that in certain computer configurations inserting graphics and video cards, hard drive controllers or even power supply units can have an effect on the audio signal. Generally, the built-in amplifier is very sensitive to this. Use active speakers or your hi-fi system on the line output. When installing the sound card in your computer, try to place it as far away as possible from the sources of interference mentioned above.

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Question 7:

Ever since I connected my sound card to my stereo system, you can hear a constant hum.

Answer 7:

The hum (50Hz) comes from the 220V power supply. It is caused by a so-called ground loop. This loop is created when two devices are grounded by a ground wire or other wire (e.g., antenna cable) together with an audio cable. You can get rid of the hum when you separate the main connection - using either a sheath current filter which connects in the antenna cable (about $ 25 retail), or an audio transmitter which terminates the direct connection of the audio output (PC) and the input (hi-fiamplifier) (available from Conrad stores, order No. 31 14 05, and other car stereo retailers). If you remove the antenna cable from the receiver/tuner and the hum disappears, then the sheath current filter helped. If the hum is audible even without the antenna cable, the cause of the problem is a doubled ground on the main plugs and can be resolved using an isolating transformer.

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Question 8:

Is the sound card's MIDI port compatible with the Roland MPU-401 standard?

Answer 8:

The sound card supports both the Sound Blaster MIDI mode as well as the MPU-401 UART mode (not the SMART mode, this does not affect performance since most programs support MPU-401 UART mode). Programs which are set up for MPU-401 mode directly support your sound card when a wavetable is being used.

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Question 9:

Using MPU-401 mode (General MIDI, Roland Sound Canvas, or the like) causes a system crash in systems with an older SCSI controller.

Answer 9:

Check the I/O address of your SCSI adapter. For many widely-used SCSI controllers, the standard value for this is set to 330H. Set this address to another value since some games, for example, expect the MPU port at the 330H address.

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Question 10:

MIDI files played back using DMX do not sound true to the original even though a wavetable is connected to the sound card.

Answer 10:

In this case, the Windows 95/98 MIDI mapper must be told that there is a wavetable synthesizer on the sound card The following gives instructions on how to do this under Windows 95/98:

- Open the Control Panel and double-click on the Multimedia icon.
- Now click on the MIDI tab. Select the 'DMX MPU-401 Devices' driver.
- When you close the MIDI window, MIDI output is activated at the wavetable synthesizer.
- You also need to make sure that the 'Sound off' option is not activated on the AUX controller!

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Question 11:

A keyboard connected to the sound card doesn't work.

Answer 11:

- First, make sure that the driver for communication with the keyboard has been installed. The driver is called 'DMX MPU-401 Device' and should be found in the Control Panel in System under Device Manager. If it is not there, reinstall it from the current Windows 95/98 driver.
- If the driver is installed, it must be selected as the MIDI input device in the sequencer software. Please see your sequencer handbook for details on this. Most sequencer programs have a menu item labeled "Setup/MIDI Devices", where you can select MIDI input and MIDI output devices.
- If both these conditions are satisfied and the problem persists, in other words the software does not react when you hit a key or no sound is audible, the MIDI connecting cable is almost certainly the cause of the trouble. Experience has shown that there's an enormous number of different MIDI connector cables which unfortunately are all identical externally. These cables should contain a so-called optocoupler suitable for the sound card's levels. As it's not possible to check this from the outside, always use the sound card manufacturer's MIDI cable. You can obtain this cable either from us directly or you can visit your local computer store.

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Question 12:

Where can I get new drivers and utilities for my sound card?

Answer 12:

You can always obtain current drivers and software versions from the ReActor BBS at +49 2157-817924 (analog) and +49 2157-817942 (ISDN). You also have access to them through our Internet sites (http://www.terratec.net). Here, you can obtain current information about our products and hot new tools for your sound card.

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Question 13:

There is no feedback signal to my ForceFeedback joystick.

Answer 13:
For ForceFeedback transmission, Microsoft uses MIDI lines. The MPU401 interface should not have to share the IRQ with other cards.
You should also use the current driver software (3.02) from Microsoft because older versions can sometimes cause problems.

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Question 14:

After installing the ActiveRadio software, I get the message 'Error initializing Hardware'.

Answer 14:
This tells you that you have an older version of the ActiveRadio software. Only use the software that comes with the DMX CD and not the software that comes with the radio card.
Current versions can be obtained online at our Internet homepage or from our mailbox.

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Question 15:

I can't get the MacroFX effect to work.

Answer 15:
Check the DMX mixer settings. MacroFX operates by increasing volume. If you set the controller to max.,
the card cannot increase the volume any further.

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Question 16:

WAV files played by DMX sound overmodulated.

Answer 16:

Check the control settings of the WAVE control in the DMX ControlPanel. When this controller is turned up as far as it will go, the signal can become distorted. To fix this you can set the control to around 70&perc which brings the WAV playback to 0dB or you can load the standard settings via DEFAULT.TTM.

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Question 17:

I can't install Windows NT drivers.

Answer 17:

Unfortunately, this problem appears in some system configurations. Please use the current driver which you can download from our homepage or mailbox.

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Question 18:

The specified mixer settings have no effect on the ControlPanel.

Answer 18:

You cannot load mixer settings as long as the ControlPanel is active in the background. Shut the ControlPanel and then start a mixer setting. The ControlPanel will then be opened with the desired settings.

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Question 19:

I can't start applications through the ControlPanel.

Answer 19:

The current driver ( 4.05.00.0800 ) resolves this problem. As an alternative, you could also press the "Reset Registry Settings" button in the ControlPanel under "Settings".

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Question 20:

During installation no drivers were found.

Answer 20:

Please use the current driver ( 4.05.00.0800 ) or disconnect any device from the GamePort during installation.

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Question 21:

Channels are mixed up for digital outputs.

Answer 21:

The current driver ( 4.05.00.0800 ) resolves this problem.

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Question 22:

When I try to record something over the digital inputs, I get the error message " Sample rate is not supported".

Answer 22:

Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to make digital recordings with a sampling frequency other than 48kHz. Of course, it is possible to record other sampling frequencies (32kHz/44,1kHz). However, the sampling frequency in the recording program must be set to 48kHz. With WaveLab Lite, you have the option of converting the 48kHz file to the desired format. Our engineers are currently working on a solution. Please check back with our web site or mailbox from time to time since this problem will probably be addressed in the next driver version.

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Question 23:

There is a small cable the packing and i don't know what to do with it.

Answer 23:

With this cable you can connect the Digital Xtension "R" with a CD-Rom drive that has a digital out.

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Question 24:

When I install the DMX in a Athlon system, my computer hangs up.

Answer 24:

This is due to the modified timing behavior of Athlon CPU's. In this case, a minor modification has to be made on the sound card. Send us the sound card with a description of the error, the exact name of the motherboard and the CPU speed. Please check the version of your DMX. The layout 1.2 has got two jumper to configure your card for the Athlon system.

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TerraTec Electronic GmbH
Herrenpfad 38
D-41334 Nettetal
Tel: | +49-2157-8179-0
Fax: | +49-2157-8179-22
Hotline: | +49-2157-8179-14
FTP | ftp://ftp.terratec.de
WWW | http://www.terratec.com