User`s guide

APOGEE ELECTRONICS
8
Mini-DAC – User’s Guide
APOGEE ELECTRONICS
9
Mini-DAC – User’s Guide
Interfacing the Mini-DAC via USB
As described above, a Mini-DAC equipped with a USB Option Card offers digital input and output with
recent Macintosh and Windows operating systems. While the Mini-DAC can often operate correctly with
native OS drivers, in most cases the best performance is obtained with dedicated hardware drivers,
available for the Mini-DAC at www.apogeedigital.com/usb. Please consult the following application
notes for specic details concerning each Operating System and driver option.
Macintosh - General
Regardless of the OS version, follow these steps
when connecting the Mini-DAC to a Mac:
1) Connect the Mini-DAC to a USB connection on
the computer (i.e. not on the keyboard, screen or
via a USB hub).
2) Power on the Mini-DAC and the computer.
3) Open the “Apple System Proler” utility, choose
the “Volumes and Devices” tab, and verify that
the Mini-DAC appears on the appropriate USB
bus.
OS 9.1 and later – Sound Manager
The Mini-DAC can be used with Sound Manager,
though latency performance is less than ideal and
resolution/sample rate is limited to 16-bit, 44.1 kHz,
due to the limitations of the OS.
1) After connecting the Mini-DAC as specied
above, open the “Sound” Control Panel, click on
the “Input” tab, and select “External Mic – USB
Audio”.
2) Click on the “Output” tab and select “USB Audio”.
3) If the Mini-DAC’s ASIO extension has been
installed and activated, the preceding options will
not appear. Disable the “PG ApogeeMiniDAC”
extension in the “Extensions Manager” Control
Panel and re-start the computer.
OS 9.1 and later – ASIO
For best latency performance and 24-bit recording
under Mac OS 9, it’s necessary to download the
MiniDAC ASIO driver from the Apogee website at
www.apogeedigital.com/usb.
1) Download the driver and decompress the les
using Aladdin Systems Stuft Expander utility.
The resultant folder will be labeled “apogee_
usb_mac Folder” and will contain two les
labeled “Apogee MiniDAC ASIO Driver” and
“PGApogeeMiniDAC”.
2) Place the “Apogee MiniDAC ASIO Driver” in the
ASIO folder of all applications to be used with the
Mini-DAC, and the “PGApogeeMiniDAC” in the
System Folder > Extensions folder. Restart the
computer.
Working with USB - continued
Apple System Proler
Sound Manager