READ ME MultiMix FireWire Windows Firmware and Driver Update ...

MultiMix FireWire
Firmware and Windows Driver Update information
March, 2006
Contents:
Before You Begin
Software Drivers versus Firmware – What’s the Difference
Update Your Software Drivers
Update Your Firmware to version 1.0.3
Update Your Firmware to version 1.0.4 (optional)
In Case of Difficulty
Special Notes for Cakewalk Sonar Users
A. BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Please review the following information carefully. A few minutes spent now may save you an
hour or two of troubleshooting down the road.
1. Verify your Windows version
These updates require Windows XP or later. Both Windows Installer and Windows .NET 1.1 (or
later) must already be installed on your machine.
64-bit Windows is not supported.
If you have not updated Windows in a while, we recommend that you go to
www.WindowsUpdate.com and install the available updates.
2. Verify that your version of Windows contains components required by the update
From the “Start” menu, choose “Control Panel” and then “Add or Remove Programs.”
Look for the following items in the list:
Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 (or later)
Windows Installer 3.1 (or later)
If one or both of these items does not appear, you must go to www.WindowsUpdate.com and
download them before you can continue.
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B. SOFTWARE DRIVERS VERSUS FIRMWARE – WHAT’S THE
DIFFERENCE
Software Drivers are the pieces of code that are stored within your computer. Software Drivers
tell your computer how to communicate with your mixer.
Firmware is the code that is stored within your mixer. Firmware tells your mixer how to operate.
C. UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE DRIVERS
a. Copy the software driver installation program (called 2—MultiMix_Windows_Driver_1_54_0.msi)
from the zip file to your desktop.
b. Double-click the .MSI file to run the update. Follow the prompts, and click “continue anyway”
if Windows pops up any “logo certification” warnings.
c. When the update has finished, you can delete the .MSI file.
D. UPDATE YOUR FIRMWARE TO VERSION 1.0.3
a. Copy the firmware update program (called 3--MultiMix_Windows_Firmware_Update_1_03.msi) from
the zip file to your desktop.
b. Double-click the firmware update program to run it. Follow the prompts to install the updater
program.
c. Once the updater has been run, check that your MultiMix is connected to your computer and
powered on.
d. Find the MultiMix Firmware Update 1.03 shortcut on your desktop. Double-click it to run the
firmware update program.
e. Once you’ve run the program, you can remove the Firmware Updater program from your
computer. To do so, choose START | CONTROL PANEL | ADD OR REMOVE PROGRAMS.
Click MultiMix Firmware Update and click REMOVE. When prompted, confirm that yes, you
do want to remove this program from your computer.
f. Turn your mixer off and on again to complete this procedure.
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E. UPDATE YOUR FIRMWARE TO VERSION 1.0.4 (OPTIONAL)
PURPOSE:
A few 12- and 16-channel mixers appear in the computer to have an incorrect number of
channels.
- 12-channel mixers should appear to have fourteen channels [12 individual channels
plus MAIN L/R]
- 16-channel mixers should appear to have eighteen channels [16 individual channels
plus MAIN L/R].)
If your mixer is not exhibiting this symptom, you can leave your firmware at 1.0.3. (The 1.0.4
update is the same as the 1.0.3 update, except that 1.0.4 has the ability to correct these incorrect
channel counts.)
If your mixer is exhibiting this symptom, upgrade your firmware to version 1.0.4 as follows.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Firmware version 1.0.3 is required for this update.
If your current firmware is 1.0.2 or earlier, see section “D” above to run the 1.0.3 firmware
updater first. Be sure to turn your mixer off and on again after updating to 1.0.3 before
running this 1.0.4 update.
If you do not know your mixer’s current firmware version, run the 1.0.3 updater in section
“D” before proceeding.
a. Copy the 1.0.4 firmware update program (called 4--MultiMix_Firmware_Update_1_03_to1_04.exe)
from the zip file to your desktop.
b. Check that your MultiMix is connected to your computer and powered on.
c. Double-click 4--MultiMix_Firmware_Update_1_03_to_1_04.exe to run the program. Follow
the prompts as indicated.
d. Once the firmware updater has finished running (allow a minute or so), turn your mixer off
and then on again. You can now delete 4--MultiMix_Firmware_Update_1_03_to_1_04.exe
from your desktop.
e. Once the firmware update is complete, you will probably need to refresh the listing of
channels in your DAW.
Instructions for Cubase:
1. Open Cubase.
2. Choose the "Devices" menu and then "Device Setup."
3. Choose "VST Multitrack." Select "ASIO MultiMix" as your ASIO Driver (if it's not
already selected).
4. Press the "Reset All" button button at the bottom of this screen. Then press O.K.
Other audio applications will have different procedures for this task.
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F. IN CASE OF DIFFICULTY
In case of difficulty, part 1
In rare instances, the installer may not be able to complete. It will revert to the old installation and
inform you the install failed. If this happens to you:
I. Uninstall the control panel:
a. From the “Start” menu, choose “Control Panel” and then “Add or Remove Programs.”
b. In the list of programs, find “MultiMix.” Click it and press “Remove.”
c. When prompted with “Are you sure you want to remove MultiMix from your
computer” click Yes.
II. Uninstall the MultiMix FireWire driver:
a. Open the System Properties dialog window. There are two ways to do this:
a. Find the “My Computer” icon either in your start menu or on your desktop.
Right click it and select “Properties.”
b. Hold down the Windows key (between the Ctrl and Alt keys on your
keyboard); press the Pause/Break key at the same time.
b. Select the “Hardware” tab near the top of this dialog box.
c. Press the “Device Manager” button.
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d. Find the section titled “Sound, video, and game controllers.” Click the little plus sign
next to it and look for “MultiMix Audio.”
If it is not listed there, you can stop now. If “MultiMix Audio” is listed, right click it and
choose “Uninstall.” You will receive this message:
e. Click “OK” to uninstall the device.
III. Turn off the MultiMix FireWire, and re-start your computer:
Shut off the MultiMix FireWire. Then, turn off your computer, and turn it on again.
IV. Re-install the MultiMix FireWire driver:
Double-click the .MSI file to install the drivers.
V. Turn on the MultiMix FireWire; install the drivers automatically:
a. Once you turn on the MultiMix FireWire, the “Found New Hardware” dialog will
appear.
b. Follow the prompts.
c. Choose “No, not this time” when prompted to connect to Windows Update to search
for software.
d. At the next screen, choose to “Install the software automatically.”
e. Click “continue anyway” if Windows pops up any “logo certification” warnings.
f. After cycling through the driver installation four times, Windows will notify you that the
device is ready to use.
In case of difficulty, part 2
If the steps in (3) above do not resolve any installation problems, Alesis’s customer support
department is available to help. Call (401) 658-5760.
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G. SPECIAL NOTES FOR CAKEWALK SONAR USERS
Sonar users will generally find better performance when using ASIO drivers rather than WDM
drivers with their MultiMix mixers.
To choose ASIO or WDM mode, open Sonar and then go to the OPTIONS menu. Choose
AUDIO…. Then, select the ADVANCED tab and select ASIO or WDM/KS from the DRIVER
MODE drop-down box.
If you choose to use the WDM drivers with Sonar, take care when changing clock rates:
a. Start in the MultiMix control panel. There, set the sample rate to your choice of 44.1kHz
or 48kHz. (Remember: 44.1 for audio and 48 for most professional film and video.)
b. Open Sonar. Go to the OPTIONS menu. Choose AUDIO…. Then, select the
ADVANCED tab and select WDM/KS from the DRIVER MODE drop-down box.
c. Close this dialog box. Close Sonar completely.
d. Re-start Sonar. Allow Sonar’s Wave Profiler to run. Note that Sonar will profile only the
input devices, not the output devices.
e. After profiling is complete, go OPTIONS | AUDIO… and then the DRIVERS tab.
Note the DMA buffer size reported for the device that was profiled (at 44.1k).
f. Manually copy this setting to all the Dice devices/sampling rates.
g. Close and restart Sonar. This will now allow setting the overall buffer size to a low value
that corresponds to 2/3 ms. latency, without any distortion.
Thank you for using Alesis products! We wish you success and personal fulfillment in all of your
musical endeavors.
The Alesis Team