F. A. Q. - Frequently Asked Questions

Product | Maestro 16/96
Last update | 02/07/2000
Version | 1.3
Questions und Answers | 11

Please ensure that you are using the latest driver versions.
You can obtain the latest drivers from our BBS or from our webpage.

TerraTec ReActor BBS | Internet | TerraTec Electronic GmbH
+49-(0)2157-817924 (analog) | http://www.terratec.net | Herrenpfad 38
+49-(0)2157-817942 (ISDN) | ftp://ftp.terratec.de | D-41334 Nettetal

An Overview of the Questions

Question 1:
I cannot hear the audio CDs I am playing, even though the audio cable is connected to the sound card. What can I do about it?
Question 2:
Why are the MIDI files I play using the AudioSystem Maestro 16/96 distorted?
Question 3:
Even though a game is set up for 'General MIDI' the wavetable sound does not get played back.
Question 4:
When Windows or Windows 95/98 starts, the loudspeakers produce a recurring sound pattern and the system then becomes unstable. What's going on?
Question 5:
My system freezes after playing or recording wave files.
Question 6:
A keyboard connected to the sound card doesn't work.
Question 7:
When the sound card is in the system, the second IDE interface no longer works, or the system will not boot until the second IDE interface has been disabled in the BIOS.
Question 8:
What settings in the BIOS of the computer are relevant if I have a Plug and Play BIOS version?
Question 9:
When I try to use the card in full-duplex mode, I get the error message that the audio hardware doesn't support this mode.
Question 10:
A CD-ROM drive connected to the IDE interface cannot be accessed and is not recognized by the driver. What can I do about it?
Question 11:
Ever since I connected my sound card to my stereo system, I hear a constant hum.

Question 1:
I cannot hear the audio CDs I am playing, even though the audio cable is connected to the sound card. What can I do about it?
Answer 1:
The cause of this problem can really only be an audio cable that is connected incorrectly. When looking for the correct audio interface on the sound card it is important to note that current IDE CD-ROM drives are usually connected to the Panasonic interface (e.g. Mitsumi FX 400,TEAC CD56EK, Sony CDU55E ...). You can try the three different audio interfaces, however (please switch the PC off beforehand). Then reboot the computer and start playing the CD. If you hear the sound of the CD you have found the correct interface.

Here is an overview of the interfaces used for CD-ROM audio connections:

Interface standard | Assignment |  |  |
Mitsumi | Signal | Ground | Signal | Ground
Panasonic | Ground | Signal | Ground | Signal
SONY | Signal | Ground | Ground | Signal

If you are running Windows 3.x please ensure that a driver called 'MCI-CD AUDIO' is installed in the driver section of the Control Panel group. If necessary, add it to the list.

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Question 2:
Why are the MIDI files I play using the AudioSystem Maestro 16/96 distorted?
Answer 2:
In this case you must notify the MIDI Mapper of Windows 95/98 that there is a wavetable synthesizer in the PC. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Control Panel and double-click on the Multimedia icon.
2. Now click on the MIDI tab. Select 'External MIDI (Wavetable)' as your driver.
3. When you close the MIDI window, MIDI output is activated at the wavetable synthesizer.

Under Windows 3.x proceed as follows:

1. Open up the MIDI Mapper on the Control Panel.
2. Select the 'Wavetable Module' setup so that the wavetable synthesizer can be addressed.

Once you have done this, the MIDI files should sound correct, because the system now is aware of the wavetable synthesizer.

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Question 3:
Even though a game is set up for 'General MIDI' the wavetable sound does not get played back.
Answer 3:
In this instance you should check if a joystick is connected to the sound card's game port. If this is the case, please remove it and then restart the game. If General MIDI sound is now available, the joystick in question is a version which grounds the MIDI lines (which are also carried via the gameport), thus suppressing the sound.

In this case, you should use a MIDI cable that has a special connector for the joystick or use a game card that also supports joysticks with many functions.

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Question 4:
When Windows or Windows 95/98 starts, the loudspeakers produce a recurring sound pattern and the system then becomes unstable. What's going on?
Answer 4:
This definitely indicates an interrupt conflict. Two devices are accessing the same interrupt request line and are thus preventing the system from working properly. To solve this problem you should first make a list of the cards in your system and the interrupts they are assigned to. It may also be useful to use a diagnostics program to detect such conflicts.
When you have discovered the source of the conflict, you should reconfigure the cards affected. You can do this by changing the corresponding jumper of the affected respective component or by changing the values in the driver of that device. The Windows 95/98 'Device Manager' is also very helpful. You can access it via under the System icon in the Control Panel. Double-click on the Computer entry to display all resources.

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Question 5:
My system freezes after playing or recording wave files.
Answer 5:
This is definitely due to a conflict with the chipset of your mainboard. It generally only occurs with older 386 and 486 mainboards, however.
In this case it will be necessary to open the computer and have a look at the mainboard to see which chipset it uses. Look for large chips with designations on them. Please make a note of the designations that you can find and call our hotline for a solution.

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Question 6:
A keyboard connected to the sound card doesn't work.
Answer 6:
1. First, make sure that the driver for communication with the keyboard has been installed. The relevant driver for this card is called 'Maestro 16/96 Audio', you should be able to find it in the Device Manager in the Control Panel. If this is not the case, please reinstall the Windows 95/98 drivers again.
2. If the driver is installed, it must be selected as the MIDI input device in the sequencer software. Please see your sequencer manual 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. Our product range includes such a cable which you can obtain from your equipment retailer.

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Question 7:
When the sound card is in the system, the second IDE interface no longer works, or the system will not boot until the second IDE interface has been disabled in the BIOS.
Answer 7:
This is definitely a conflict between the IDE interface on the sound card and the second IDE interface on the mainboard. It can be eliminated by using a utility that switches off the IDE interface on the sound card.
You can obtain this utility from our Web site or BBS.

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Question 8:
What settings in the BIOS of the computer are relevant if I have a Plug and Play BIOS version?
Answer 8:
All PCI motherboards, i.e. motherboards with PCI slots, have an option in their BIOS with which interrupts and, increasingly, also DMA channels can be assigned to ISA cards or PCI cards.
This can be done in two different ways:
1. For example, in versions 4.50 and 4.51 of the AWARD BIOS, the 'PnP and PCI Setup' menu item contains the option of assigning fixed interrupts to the individually numbered PCI slots. Furthermore, you can check if any interrupt request lines are reserved for an ISA card. In its basic configuration, the sound card uses the interrupts 5 and 9 and the DMA channel 1 (an additional DMA channel is required if full-duplex mode is enabled!). The values should NOT be set to 'YES' in the list. If this is the case, change the settings to 'No/ICU'.

2. In some AMI BIOS versions, for example, you only have four options that are named 'First available IRQ', 'Second available IRQ', 'Third available IRQ' and 'Fourth available IRQ'. The first available interrupt indicates the interrupt that is used by a PCI card. The first PCI card will occupy the first of the available interrupts, the second PCI card the second interrupt, and so on.
If you only have a PCI graphics card in your computer, then enter IRQ 10 as the first available interrupt. The graphics card will then use interrupt 10. The other interrupts can be assigned as appropriate to the other PCI cards in your system.
If no further interrupts are to be assigned for additional PCI cards, set the entries in Setup ('Second available IRQ...') to 'NA' (Not Available).
These measures are definitely required, even if you only have a single ISA card in your system. ISA cards cannot notify the system of the resources that they use. The values for these cards must therefore be reserved for ISA cards in the BIOS. Due to the huge number of available mainboards and BIOS versions, at this point we can only recommend consulting the documentation of your mainboard and contacting your retailer or the manufacturer of your PC in the event of questions.

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Question 9:
When I try to use the card in full-duplex mode, I get the error message that the audio hardware doesn't support this mode.
Answer 9:
In the Device Manager, switch the basic configuration of the 'TerraTec Maestro 16/96 Audio' to '0001'. Two DMA channels will now be displayed in the resource overview. You can now use the card in full-duplex mode.

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Question 10:
A CD-ROM drive connected to the IDE interface cannot be accessed and is not recognized by the driver. What can I do about it?
Answer 10:
In this case, you should definitely make sure that you don't already have two active IDE interfaces on your system. If you have a Pentium system you certainly have two IDE interfaces on your motherboard and therefore you cannot use the interface on the sound card unless you switch off the second interface on the motherboard in the BIOS (or perhaps even by setting jumpers on the motherboard). The reason for this is that Enhanced IDE can only support two active IDE interfaces.
We would definitely recommend that you use the second IDE interface on the motherboard because this makes the installation easier. Then all you have to do is to connect the CD-ROM audio cable to the sound card.

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Question 11:
Ever since I connected my sound card to my stereo system, I hear a constant hum.
Answer 11:
The hum (50 Hz) comes from the 220V power supply. It is caused by a so-called ground loop. The hum will go away when the direct connection is opened - either by using a sheath current filter in the antenna connection (available from specialist retailers for approx. DM 20.00) or an isolating transformer that eliminates the direction link between the audio output (PC) and amplifier input (e.g. Conrad, Order No. 311405 and from car hifi specialists). If you remove the antenna cable from the receiver/tuner and the hum disappears, then the sheath current filter will help. 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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TerraTec Electronic GmbH
Herrenpfad 38
D-41334 Nettetal
tel: +49-2157-81790
fax: +49-2157-817922
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bbs isdn: +49-2157-817942
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www: www.terratec.net