User Manual

User's Guide Digiface Dante © RME

8. Operation and Usage

8.1 Playback

In the audio application being used, Digiface Dante must be selected as output device. This can

often be found in the Options, Preferences or Settings menus as Playback Device, Audio De-

vices, Audio etc.

Increasing the number and/or size of audio buffers may prevent the audio signal from breaking

up, but also increases latency i.e. output is delayed. For synchronized playback of audio and

MIDI (or similar), be sure to activate the checkbox ‘Get position from audio driver’.

Note

: This is a network audio interface. In a network, clock definition is of particular importance.

Therefore neither WDM nor ASIO are allowed to influence the sample rate. That setting is done

exclusively by the Dante Controller.

8.2 DVD-Playback (AC-3/DTS)

AC-3 / DTS

Popular DVD software players can send their audio data stream to any AC-3/DTS capable re-

ceiver via the Digiface Dante.

The sample rate must be set to 48 kHz in the Dante Controller, or the software will only

playback a stereo 2-channel downmix via SPDIF.

In some cases the Digiface Dante output device has to be selected in >Control Panel / Sound /

Playback< and be set as Default, or the software will not recognize it.

The DVD software's audio properties now show the options 'SPDIF Out' or similar. When

selecting it, the software will transfer the non-decoded digital multi-channel data stream to a

Digiface Dante output channel.

Warning

: This 'SPDIF' signal sounds like chopped noise at highest level.

Multichannel

PowerDVD and WinDVD can also operate as software decoder, sending a DVD's multichannel

data stream directly to the analog and digital outputs of the Digiface Dante. For this to work

select the WDM playback device ’Loudspeaker’ of the Digiface Dante in >Control Panel/ Sound/

Playback < as ‘Standard’. Additionally a Multi-channel WDM device is required, whose property

of 7.1 Loudspeaker playback can be verified under >Configuration<.

PowerDVD's and WinDVD's audio properties now list several multichannel modes. If one of

these is selected, the software sends the decoded analog multichannel data to the Digiface

Dante. On some software it is not necessary to select the Loudspeaker in the Sound panel.

8.3 Channel Count under WDM

The Digiface Dante supports a maximum of 104 channels for WDM. These can be configured

and activated via the Settings dialog - WDM Devices, as Stereo or Multi-channel (8-channel)

devices.

In Double Speed mode the number of available channels is halved for both Dante and MADI. In

Quad Speed mode the number of available channels is reduced to 16 channels for both Dante

and MADI.