User Manual

User’s Guide OctaMic XTC © RME
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18.2 DVD-Playback (AC-3/DTS)
AC-3 / DTS
When using popular DVD software players, their audio data stream can be sent to any AC-
3/DTS capable receiver via the OctaMic XTC.
The sample rate must be set to 48 kHz in the OctaMic XTC's Settings dialog, or the soft-
ware will only playback the down-mixed analog signal via SPDIF.
In some cases an OctaMic XTC 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 select-
ing it, the software will transfer the non-decoded digital multi-channel data stream to the Oc-
taMic XTC’s AES, ADAT or MADI output.
Note
: This SPDIF signal sounds like chopped noise at highest level.
Multi-channel
DVD player software can also operate as software decoder, sending a DVD's multi-channel
data stream directly to the analog or digital outputs of the OctaMic XTC. For this to work set the
WDM playback device ’Loudspeaker’ of the OctaMic XTC in >Control Panel/ Sound/ Playback<
as ‘Standard’. Additionally the loudspeaker setup, found under >Configuration<, has to be
changed from Stereo to 5.1 Surround.
The software's audio properties now list several multi-channel modes. If one of these is se-
lected, the software sends the decoded analog multi-channel data to the OctaMic XTC. On
some software it is not necessary to select the Loudspeaker in the Sound panel.
18.3 Multi-client Operation
RME audio interfaces support multi-client operation. Several programs can be used at the same
time. The formats ASIO and WDM can even be used on the same playback channels simulta-
neously. As WDM uses a real-time sample rate conversion (ASIO does not), all active ASIO
software has to use the same sample rate.
Inputs can be used from an unlimited number of WDM and ASIO software at the same time, as
the driver simply sends the data to all applications simultaneously.
RME's sophisticated tool DIGICheck operates like an ASIO host, using a special technique to
access playback channels directly. Therefore DIGICheck is able to analyse and display play-
back data from any software, no matter which format it uses.
18.4 Multi-interface Operation
The current driver supports up to three RME devices of the MADIface series. All units have to
be in sync, i.e. have to receive valid digital sync information. The OctaMic XTC can therefore be
used simultaneously with a MADIface XT, MADIface USB, MADIface Pro, Fireface UFX+ or
ADI-2 Pro. Under ASIO all devices are presented as one ASIO device with all available chan-
nels as I/Os.
If one of the units is set to clock mode Master, all others have to be set to clock mode Slave,
and have to be synced from the master by feeding Word, ADAT, AES or MADI. The clock
modes of all units have to be set up correctly in their Settings dialog.