Apogee PCI Card User’s Guide February 2009
User’s Guide Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................1 Introduction .................................................................................................1 System Requirements .....................................................................1 Installing the Symphony 32 System ..........................................................................................2 On-board Jumpers .................
Symphony PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Introduction The Symphony 32 system is a cost effective and flexible way to connect Apogee hardware interfaces to Apple Mac Pro and G5 computers. Using SBus, a powerful digital audio network may be created between Symphony 64 and Symphony 32-equipped Macs.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Setting On-board Jumpers Before installing Symphony PCI cards into your Mac, it’s necessary to assign a unique ID for each card using the block of jumpers indicated in figure 1. 1. Remove the Symphony card from its anti-static bag, paying careful attention to not touch the on-board components or the gold connector pins. 2.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide PC32 Connections The Interface Connections Chart depicts important aspects of each possible combination, including: 1) The order in which interfaces should be connected. As shown in the example below of an AD16X and DA16X in Standard routing, the computer should be connected to the AD16X’s Main port, and the AD16X’s Thru port connected to the DA16X’s Main port. 2) The connection between the interfaces’s I/O and the Symphony driver’s I/O.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Word Clock Connections - Multiple Symphony PCI Cards Regardless of the number of Symphony PCI cards to which hardware interfaces are connected, each hardware interface must receive a synchronous word clock. For example in the system shown below, the first two interfaces are connected to one Symphony PCI card and the second two interfaces are connected to a second PCI card, but all four interfaces are connected to the same clock source.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Connecting Symphony 32 and Symphony 64 with SBus Using SBus, it’s possible to connect a Symphony 32-equipped Mac to a second Mac equipped with a Symphony 64 system, following the steps described below. For a complete description of SBus and Symphony 64, please consult the Symphony 64 User’s Guide.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Maestro Control Window Settings Pane Apogee’s Maestro software provides control, routing and low latency mixing functionality for the Symphony 32 system. The application consists of two windows, Maestro Control and Maestro Mixer.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Maestro Control Window Settings Pane VBus Selections - Apogee’s VBus creates virtual hardware buses to allow expanded routing of audio within one application or between different audio applications. For example, it’s possible in Logic Pro to record a submix of multiple audio tracks onto a new audio track as described below.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Maestro Mixer Window Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Input Pane Input, Output and Mixer Panes Figure 1 Input and Output Panes The Input and Output Routing panes consist of an intuitive routing grid on which connections between hardware and software I/O are depicted and modified visually. Connections are depicted by grey connection icons at the intersection of a hardware I/O column and a software I/O row.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Output Pane Output Pane The Output routing pane is functionally similar to the Input pane, but used to make connections between software and hardware outputs, as depicted below. Software outputs are displayed to the left of the grid and hardware outputs are displayed across the top of the grid. 3 1 2 Output Signal path: Logic> Maestro> Ensemble 11.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Working with the Input, Output and Mixer Panes While configuration of the Input and Output panes is quite intuitive, there are a few details to be aware of: 1 One Hardware Input, Multiple Software Inputs - In the Input pane it is possible to route one hardware input to multiple software inputs simply by clicking down the desired hardware input column and across the desired software inputs, as shown at right.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Maestro Mixer Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Maestro Mixer An Overview An Overview Before describing the functions of Maestro’s Mixer pane, a bit of background information concerning latency and computer-based digital recording setups will help to better understand these Mixer functions.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Maestro Mixer Window Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Maestro Mixer Window Mixer Pane As described in the previous section, the Maestro mixer serves to blend hardware inputs with software outputs (playback from your Mac), and route the mix directly to hardware outputs, as depicted below. 3 1 4 7 5 6 2 1 Mixer Select (A-B) – This drop down menu selects between the two available mixers per Symphony 32 card.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Maestro Mixer Window Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Figure 1 Mixer B Each Symphony 32 PCIe card includes 2 independent mixers, Mixer A and Mixer B. This allows two completely independent low latency mixes to be routed to different hardware outputs, as depicted in Figure 1. Mixer B A D-1 6 X Additional hardware interfaces connected to the Symphony 32 card provide additional inputs to each Maestro mixer.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Maestro Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Maestro Menu by Menu Menu by Menu Maestro> About Maestro Selecting this menu item opens the window shown at right, which indicates various software and firmware versions. Maestro > Hide Maestro Choosing this menu item hides the Maestro application. Maestro > Hide Others Choosing this menu item hides all other open applications.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Interface Connections Chart: Standard Routing Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Interface Connections Chart: Standard Routing (continued) INTERFACE SET The following chart depicts all possible configurations of Apogee interfaces that may be connected per Symphony PCI card. Under “Channels in Use”, the mapping of the interface’s I/O to the Symphony driver’s I/O is indicated.
Symphony PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS APOGEE ELECTRONICS Interface Connections Chart: Advanced Routing Interface Connections Chart: Standard Routing (continued) INTERFACE SET Symphony PCI card – User’s Guide INTERFACE SET CHANNELS IN USE CHANNELS IN USE AD-16X & DA-16X ROSETTA 800 1-16 17-32 M T INPUT OUTPUT M T M T M T INPUT OUTPUT M T INPUT OUTPUT ROSETTA 800 #1 M T ROSETTA 800 #2 M T M T 17-32 ROSETTA 800 #2 1-16 OUTPUT ROSETTA 800 #1 17-32 ROSETTA 800 #2 ROSET
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide APOGEE ELECTRONICS Troubleshooting Troubleshooting To quickly troubleshoot your Symphony system, open Maestro software and verify that all hardware interfaces are correctly detected in the Interface drop down menu. If some or all interfaces aren’t detected, please consult the symptoms and solutions described below. Symptom - Hardware interfaces aren’t locking to word clock.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Installing the X-Symphony card 1 X-Symphony circuit board 1 X-Symphony Coverplate 2 aluminium standoffs 1 plastic standoff 1 Remove the top cover of the host interface. 2 Remove the Option Card coverplate, and set aside the screws for later use. 3 Remove the two interface circuit board screws indicated at left, and set them aside for later use 4 Install the two aluminium standoffs in the threaded holes vacated by the screws.
APOGEE ELECTRONICS Symphony 32 PCI card – User’s Guide Registration and Warranty Information Be sure to register your Symphony PCI card, either by filling in the enclosed Registration Card or by completing the on-line registration form at our Web site: http://www.apogeedigital.com/support/. If you do so, Apogee can contact you with any update information. As enhancements and upgrades are developed, you will be contacted at the registration address.
Symphony PCI card USER’S GUIDE - February 2009 Text conceived and delivered by: Roger Robindore Graphics and illustrations by: Sean McArthur
