Important Hints to the Marc 4 Midi driver version 4.11 for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista

1. System Requirements
2. New Installation
3. Driver Update

4. Driver Uninstall
5. What's new

6. Operation in Windows Vista
7. MME, DirectSound and "Classic MME"
8. Software Sampler and Synthesizers

1. System Requirements

• Microsoft Windows 2000 SP3, Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista each with the 32-bit version
• Microsoft DirectX 9b

2. New Driver Installation

2.1 Windows 2000

• Start your PC after installing your hardware.
• Log in using administrator privileges.
• Windows automatically recognizes at startup the newly installed device and starts the Hardware Wizard.
• During the start of Windows the Hardware Wizard searches for new drivers. Click "Next" to start the search.
• Enable the “Search for the best driver for your device” option and confirm by clicking "Next".
• Insert the supplied CD in your CD-ROM drive.
• Confirm the next dialog with „Next“
• Confirm the next window also with „Next“
• Ignore the message „Digital signature not found“ and continue the installation with „Yes“
• Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite a newer "maasio2.dll" answer "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
• After finishing the installation click "Finish”.

2.2 Windows XP/2003

• Start your PC after installing your hardware.
• Log in using administrator privileges.
• Insert the supplied CD in your CD-ROM drive.
• Windows automatically recognizes at startup the newly installed device and starts the Hardware Wizard.
• Enable the option „Install Software automatically“ and confirm by clicking „Next“.
• Ignore the next message and click „Continue“
• Windows noew copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite a newer "maasio2.dll" answer "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
• After finishing the installation the Marc 4 Midi is ready to be operated without having to restart the system.

2.3 Windows Vista

• After the hardware installation the message "Found new hardware" appears. Click on "Locate and install driver software (recommended)".
• If the User Account Control requests you acceptance, then click "Continue".
• If your computer has not a permanent connection to the internet, then now you have the opportunity the choose "Do not search online". In any other case the Windows Installer now begins to search Windows Update for a new driver version. This may need upto some minutes.
• Then you are requested to "Insert the disk that came with your Multimedia Controller". Insert the driver disk of your MARIAN Sound System and the Windows Installer searches the disk for new drivers.
• If you get the message "Windows can't verify the publisher of this driver software" click on "Install this driver software anyway".
• The drivers are now installed. When you are asked to overwrite a newer "maasio2.dll" answer "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
• Finally, another dialog will tell you the end of the installation process. Click on "Close" here.

3. Driver Update

• Unzip the driver update package ("m4m-nt6-411.zip") with the included subdirectory structure to any folder.
• Uninstall the driver software like described in "Driver Uninstall".
• Restart Windows

3.1 Windows 2000/XP/2003

• Logon with administrator privileges again.
• Now, the Windows Hardware Wizard starts with a "New hardware found" dialog.
• Do NOT use the option "Install software automatically". Use the option "Install from list a specified location"
• Click "Next" and choose the folder where you have unzipped the driver update package.
• Follow the instructions of the Windows Hardware Wizard until the end of the installation process. When the Hardware Wizard states "... has not passed the Windows Logo testing" then click „Continue Anyway“
• During the copy process the windows hardware wizard may ask you to overwrite a newer "m4m_nt5_ui.exe". Answer "yes" to overwrite this file. When you are asked to overwrite a newer "maasio2.dll" answer "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
• After the driver installation a restart could be necessary.

3.2 Windows Vista

• After the restart the message "Found new hardware" appears. Click on "Locate and install driver software (recommended)".
• If the User Account Control requests you acceptance, then click "Continue".
• If your computer has not a permanent connection to the internet, then now you have the opportunity the choose "Do not search online". In any other case the Windows Installer now begins to search Windows Update for a new driver version. This may need upto some minutes.
• Then you are requested to "Insert the disk that came with your Multimedia Controller". Click on "I don't have the disk. Show me other options".
• In the following dialog click on "Browse my computer for driver software (advanced)".
• Now choose the folder where you have unpacked the driver update package and click on "Next".
• If you get the message "Windows can't verify the publisher of this driver software" click on "Install this driver software anyway".
• The drivers are now installed. During the copy process the windows hardware wizard may ask you to overwrite a newer "m4m_nt5_ui.exe". Answer "yes" to overwrite this file. When you are asked to overwrite a newer "maasio2.dll" answer "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
• Finally, another dialog will tell you the end of the installation process. Click on "Close" here.

4. Driver Uninstall

You can uninstall the driver software using the program "m4m_nt5_ui.exe". The most recent version of this program can you find on the installation disk or in installation package and on the harddisk in the folder "\windows\system32".

4.1 Windows 2000/XP/2003

• Ensure you are logged on with administrator privileges
• Start "m4m_nt5_ui.exe" and follow its instructions.
• After that program has finished its work, please restart Windows.

4.2 Windows Vista

• First uninstall the driver software using the Windows Device Manager. You can start it right away with a right-click on "Computer" in the start menu. Then choose "Manage" and acknowledge the question of the User Account Control with "Continue".
• In the Device Manager under "sound, Video and Game Controller" right-click on "MARIAN Marc 4 Midi" and choose "Uninstall".
• In the next dialog activate the option "Delete the driver software for this device" and start the uninstall with "Ok".
• Now start "m4m_nt5_ui.exe" mit a right-click on the program file follows by a click on "Run as administrator". Acknowledge the warning of the User Account Control with "Allow".
• Now follow the instructions of the uninstaller.
• After the Uninstaller has finished, you only have to restart Windows if you want to install another driver.

5. What's new

Version 4.11:

• ASIO:
  • significant improved performance and stability
  • New: ASIO Timestamp Hybrid Engine brings precision in micro-second range on the time base of the ASIO application! The drift of two system timers, which can be observed on many computers, is effectively compensated by this enigne.
  • Incompabilities, who came up with Steinberg Cubase Version 4.1, solved.
• Settings: New option to control the sample rate when no audio application (including the Windows system) is using the card. Now you can choose whether the card should keep the last used sample rate or it should switch to a standard sample rate. This sample rate is e.g. used for monitoring.
• Vista: when using more than one card, a BSOD could occur on restart. Solved.
• On recording with low sample rates, sample resolutions and less channels (e.g. 8 kHz, 16 Bit Mono) via Standard MME, a BSOD could occur due to a problem in MS kernel mixer. This driver version implements a nifty work arround without disadvantages for applications who have that low or lower sample requirements

Version 4.00:

• Support of Windows Vista (32 Bit). Please note the hints in "Operation in Windows Vista".
• The driver package now includes support for the german and the english language altogether. The Windows Installer install die matching language files automatically. In Windows 2000/XP/2003 the current language is determined by "Standards and Formats". (see Control Panel | Regions and Language Options" | "Regional Settings"). In Windows Vista the language is determined by the language of the Windows installation.
• Manager: New function "Reset Window Positions". This function is especially useful when working with multi monitor systems. If a manager window is shown at a second monitor and if this monitor is not available anymore e.g. after a windows restart, you cannot access this window anymore. In such a situation you can use the function "Reset Window Positions" and all manager windows will be shown again at the main monitor at the default positions.
• Manager: double clicking a fader sets it to 0 dB
• Manager: The output volume and output mute of the Manager are now synchronized with the Windows mixer. Thus, these values are not overwritten by the windows mixer under no circumstances.
• MIDI functionality is now delivered by a WDM Audio Miniport Driver.
• ASIO: Included a so called "Unhandled Exception Handler" for ASIO applications which do not handle their own exceptions (e.g. program faults). This piece of code will stop any ASIO transfer to avoid upcoming problems after an application fault.
• ASIO: The settings made in the ASIO Device Setup Dialog are now stored also for applications started at the command prompt.
• ASIO: Direct Monitoring; the manager window "Outputs" now shows the actions of an ASIO application correctly.
• Recording via Standard MME device could hang on start or when pause was executed twice. Solved.
• Added link to MARIAN Info Center. After driver installation you are asked to install/view/download the MARIAN Info center. If you have the update version of the driver from WEB, the only option is to download the MARIAN Info Center. If you have the CD version of the driver, you have also the option to install or view the MARIAN Info Center from CD.

Version 3.06:

• New driver interface to support the GSIF "Low Latency MIDI" for TASCAM GigaStudio 3. Thus, MIDI latency and MIDI jitter becomes reduced clearly.
• New option in the audio settings: "ASIO: Initial Clock Source". Some ASIO applications do not allow to determine the clock source for an audio setup. In that case you can set the desired clock source here before you start such kind of application. With respect on the multi client capabilities of the Marc 4 Midi driver it is not possible to change the clock source here for running ASIO applications.
• The GSIF settings now contain an option to determine the clock source for GigaStudio. See Marc 4 Midi  Manager | Settings | Audio. Additionally, the best latency achievable could be improved.
• Generally, the clock source "SyncBus" can now be used explicitly. This allows to set another MARIAN sound system as clock master without being involved with the ASIO/GSIF Audio Device Setup.
• With some ASIO application the project samplerate was not set correctly immediate after application start, if the sample rate differed from 44.1 kHz. Solved.
• Audio Device Names are now shown correctly within GigaStudio 3.
• Windows 2000: Stopping audio cd playback via DirectSound or Standard MME with WinAmp could cause a Blue Screen. Fixed.
• When terminating a recording process via Windows Task Manager during recording via DirectSound or Standard MME a Blue Screen occurred. Fixed.

Version 2.09:

• During playback using DirectSound or MME via WDM-Audio two error situations could occur when the driver was not supplied with enough playback data by the WDM Audio System:

  - Case 1: After such kind of drop out, the playback could stop. If this occurred during playback of Windows system sounds, the affected device was not available for other audio applications anymore. (possibly error message: "Device already in use")

  - Case 2: After such kind of drop out, the playback signal possibly could not be heard anymore (totally or partial), although the output level meters shown the correct playback signal.

  => Both phenomenon solved.

• The driver manager windows are now displayed correctly when used with the Windows 2000 screen setting "Large fonts".
• When you activate the driver start/stop settings "Synchronous" or "SyncBus" a warning message will be shown regarding the incompatibility of the DirectSound or MME via WDM-Audio devices with these settings. Please read more about this here: 5. MME, WDM-Audio, DirectSound and "Classic MME"

Version 2.05:

• GSIF Settings Display was invisible under some conditions - solved
• GSIF Settings: Latency range values are refreshed when the sample rate is changed
• Output level meter now show the correct level when playing back with GigaStudio
• Classic MME devices and Manager Software disappeared on a restricted user accounts - solved.

Version 2.04:

• System requirements changed
  - Windows 2000 service pack 3 solves some problems with the Microsoft Kernel Mixer
  - DirectX 9 ensures that DirectSound devices are not shown as "emulated"
• Driver's setup procedure cleans some audio related registry keys. Thus, it prevents/solves some effects of a Windows Installer anomaly, which may cause some problems with audio/midi devices
• No IRQ usage anymore
  - The IRQ number still can be found in the windows device manager but it is not used by the hardware or driver.
  - The hardware IRQ can be used exclusively by other system components.
  - IRQ incompatibilities with any other system cannot appear anymore
• Support of WDM-Audio Kernel Streaming
  Thus, "real" WDM-Audio applications like Cakewalk Sonar are able to work with extremely low latencies.
  More details you can find at MME, DirectSound and "Classic MME"
• Support of DirectSound
• Support of Windows Volume Control (Windows Mixer Device)
• Support of Tascam GSIF
  - You can use additional settings within the Marc 4 Midi Manager software to setup the GSIF latency manually.
• CPU load during recording/playback reduced
• More audio clients allowed for the driver. This prevents some cases where error messages report "Insufficient System Resources" Or "No Memory".
• When removing/disabling the Marc 4 Midi in the Windows device manager, a system crash could occur. Solved.
• MIDI

  - Problem during midi device detection under Windows XP with Emagic Logic and Propellerhead Reason solved.

  - Problem in interaction with Magix Samplitude/Sequoia 7.x solved

• ASIO

  - Error Messages reviewed/changed

  - When using an ASIO application, the driver overrides user's clock and start/stop synchronization settings with appropriate values. (these user settings are applicable for MME applications only). Now, the driver restores the user settings again, when the last ASIO application has finished.

• Marc 4 Midi Manager

  - The main window, which were used to open the inputs and outputs windows, is now replaced by a menu. Just right click the manager icon in the taskbar to open this menu.

  - When changing the preferred device in the recording and playback device lists of the Windows control panel, in some cases the manager loses it's connection to the driver. Thus, the input and output windows could not be opened anymore. Solved.

  - The manager now uses the system registry to store it's settings for each user separately. This solves the problem with the error message "Could not write to marc4mmix.ini" that appeared on some systems during shutdown.

• The sample rate that is used to capture input level data decreases depending on the number of cards installed down to a minimum 11.025 Hz.

6. Operation in Windows™ Vista

• Because of the new audio architecture in Windows™ Vista, the "Classic MME Drivers" cannot be supported anymore.
• On Windows™ Vista audio applications, who do not use ASIO or WSAPI, are not able to set a certain samplerate or sample format. Instead, sample rate and sample format is set in the advanced settings of an audio device in the windows control panel. This leads to the following:

   

  • If the desired samplerate of an audio application is not equal to the current set samplerate, a samplerate conversion with possibly an audible loss of quality will be the result!
  • When using an audio device of the sound system with the samplreate x and additionally attempting to use another device but with a samplerate y, an error message will appear, since the soundcard may only be used with one samplerate at a time. Unlike Windows 2000/XP, Windows Vista undertakes no sample rate conversion in this case!
  • In order to operate several devices with a certain samplerate, this samplerate has to be set up in the advanced settings of an audio device in the windows control panel for each device separately. As concluded from the previous point – no device of the soundsystem should be in use, or else a change will be rejected!
  • If you want to set the sample format for the audio devices, first start with the playback devices and afterwards with the recording devices. Background: When you open the tab "Recording", Vista starts a recording with each recording device in the list to be able to show the input levels. In this case your MARIAN Audio System is in use with a certain sample rate! If you now change back to the tab "Playback", Vista wil not stop the recording and a change to different sample rate for a playback device will fail.

7. MME, DirectSound and "Classic MME"

7.1 MME und DirectSound:

Audio applications, who do not use ASIO, GSIF or direct WDM-Audio, now communicate with Microsoft MME or Microsoft DirectSound drivers instead of communicate with the MARIAN drivers directly. The Microsoft drivers in turn communicate with the MARIAN drivers.
For audio applications, who use these Microsoft drivers, apply:

• They can playback simultaneously using one playback device. The Microsoft Kernel Mixer mixes the playback signals of the applications into one stereo stream and routes it to one physical output device. If playback takes place with different samplerate, the Microsoft Kernel Mixer converts the samplerate of the playback streams to the highest samperate required.
  Hint: You can improve the quality of this conversion! (See Control Panel | Sounds and Audio Devices | Audio | Sound Playback | Advanced | System Performance)
• The described simultaneous playback of different applications fails, if the output device is already in use by ASIO, GSIF, "Classic MME" or direct WDM-Audio.
• The number of the available recording and playback devices is limited:
  - under Windows 2000 to 10 devices each (20 channels)
  - under Windows XP to 32 devices each (64 channels)
  This limitation applies to the number of all audio devices installed in the system.
  You can use "Classic MME" or ASIO to walk around this limitation.
• The minimum possible latency is limited to app. 20..30ms through the Microsoft Kernel Mixer architecture.
  Use ASIO or GSIF to walk around this limitation.
• Microsoft DirectSound or Microsoft MME devices (MME via WDM-Audio) does not work with the driver's options for start/stop synchronization. Activate the options "Synchron" and "SyncBus Synchron" only, if you use ASIO, GSIF or classic MME devices. Else the entire WDM-Audio system may "freeze". This issue can not be compensated by our software.
  Attention: The Windows System Sounds use MME via WDM-Audio in case you have not chosen a classic MME device.
• Some audio applications show additional audio devices with theirs names appended by "(3+4)" or "(5+6)". This is caused by an anomaly of the Microsoft MME/DirectSound system. Please ignore these devices and do not use them.
• Some audio applications require the MARIAN driver because of its additional hardware support functions:
  - Hardware Punch In Monitoring
  - Hardware Pitch Support
  - Hardware Audio Signal Routing
  - Hardware Audio Signal Level Measurement
  
  These functions are not supported by the Microsoft drivers. Please supply this audio applications with the "Classic MME" devices.

7.2 "Classic MME"
(not available in Windows Vista)

The MARIAN driver enables you to use the MME driver interface of the previous driver versions in addition to all other driver interfaces. From now, we call this interface "Classic MME". You can activate "Classic MME" within the Marc 4 Midi Manager "Settings | Audio Options". If this driver interface is active, then you get additional recording and playback devices with the appropriate device lists. These devices have the name suffix "(MME)".
The "Classic MME" device have these advantages:

• The number of the recording and playback devices available is NOT limited (see above)
• These devices support the MARIAN hardware support functions (see above)
• These devices are working much faster and you achieve better latency values
• These devices guarantee exact start/stop synchrony. This can never be made with DirectSound or WDM-Audio devices

8. Software Sampler and Synthesizers

Software samplers and synthesizers normally supply MIDI output devices for other audio applications who want to use the software sampler as an instrument. If such an application starts, then normally this application opens the MIDI output devices and this in turn causes the software sampler to initialize its audio engine with the configured audio outputs.
THIS OCCURS EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT STARTED THE SOFTWARE SAMPLER APPLICATION.

In the described situation the software sampler and the other audio application may conflict, if they use the same audio output. You can use the Marc 4 Midi with different audio applications at the same time but never the same output device simultaneously.

Therefore this hint:

• First start the software sampler/synthesizer and setup an audio output device which will NOT be used by the other audio application. Start the audio application (sequencer) afterwards.
• If you start an ASIO or GSIF application the first time, then it will use the device "Marc 4 Midi 1-2" for recording and playback.

The Windows Multimedia System also supplies a software synthesizer called  "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth". This synthesizer has also a MIDI output port with the same name. Since there is no explicit setup for the output device, the "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth" always uses the standard playback device configured in "Control Panel | Sounds and Multimedia | Audio".

(c) MARIAN Digital Audio Electronics, Leipzig 04-14-2008