Owner`s manual

Mia’s Virtual Outputs

Most cards with a pair of analog inputs and outputs will appear to software

as having just that, a single pair of inputs and outputs. When one

application appropriates the card for its use, all other software is “locked-

out” from using the card at the same time.

While there is seldom, if ever, any need to record to multiple applications

simultaneously, there are numerous instances where this is desirable for

outputs. A good example would be playing back digital audio while at the

same time using a software synthesizer for MIDI. Another example would

be using multi-track editing software. Before multiple tracks can be played

back on a stereo device, they must be mixed down within the software to the

two output tracks. This takes up extra CPU cycles that might otherwise be

dedicated to software effects or some other task.

Mia gets around this by combining the use of “virtual” outputs with its

“multi-client” drivers. Mia appears to software as if it has eight separate

outputs. These are mixed together with Mia’s on-board DSP to produce the

actual or “physical” outputs that connect to external equipment without any

CPU intervention. Any virtual output can be sent to any actual output along

with any combination of other virtual outputs. The levels and routing of the

virtual outputs is fully controllable with Mia’s Console, which is described

later in this manual.

An example of this would be using Reality from Seer Systems with

Cakewalk’s Pro Audio. Reality could be set up to play back through Mia’s

outputs 7 and 8. Cakewalk’s Pro Audio, which combines MIDI sequencing

with digital playback, could then play back its MIDI output through Reality

while using Mia’s outputs 1 through 6 for six separate tracks of digital

output.

This gives Mia most of the advantages of products with eight separate

analog outputs, without the added expense of the extra converters or having

to use an external mixer to mix the outputs down to a final pair of stereo

outputs.

Note:

To use Mia with multiple applications

Multi-Client Mode

must be

enabled in the device property page (see below).