F. A. Q. - Frequently Asked Questions

Please make sure that you are using the latest driver version.

You can find them on our web pages or you can obtain them from the TerraTec Support Department by sending an envelope stamped with €1.44 in postage.

Overview of questions...

Question 1:
What operating systems are supported?

Question 2:
When is the AC adapter necessary?

Question 3:
What levels do the analog outputs deliver, and what SNR do they reach??

Question 4:
What level can be applied to the analog input, and what SNR does it reach?

Question 5:
Why is the "Digital In" channel disabled (grayed out) in the Control Panel?

Question 6:
How can I send AC3 or DTS to an external decoder when playing DVDs?

Question 7:
The MasterClock won't adjust to the sample rate of the file to be played. What can I do about it?

Question 8:
The volume controls in the Control Panel don't work.

Question 9:
The Windows volume control doesn't work.

Question 10:
What latencies can I achieve in ASIO mode?

Question 11:
I get noise (clicks) when recording and during playback.

Question 12:

Why does the PHASE 24 FW have two FireWire™ ports?

Question 13:

Can I use the PHASE 24 FW "stand alone" as an A/D or D/A converter?

Question 14:
How long is the included FireWire™ cable, and can I replace it with a longer one?

What operating systems are supported?

Answer 1:

Windows XP SP1 and higher

MAC OS X 10.3.6 and higher (only PPC)

MAC OS X 10.4 and higher (also Intel Hardware)

y

Question 2:

When is the AC adapter necessary?

Answer 2:

It should be possible to use the PHASE 24 FW without an AC adapter on a 6-pin FireWire™ connection. However, some FireWire™ controllers do not provide a consistently adequate operating voltage. We therefore recommend that you use the included AC adapter. This is also advisable if you would like to increase the battery life of your laptop, or if you only have a 4-pin FireWire™ port as the latter does not have the two power conductors of the 6-pin port.

y

Question 3:

What level do the analog outputs deliver, and what SNR do they reach?

Answer 3:

At the Line level setting, up to 2.0V_rms are available at the outputs 1/2 and 3/4.

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is typically around 111dB.

y

Question 4:

What level can be applied to the analog input, and what SNR does it reach?

Answer 4:

The PHASE 24 FW features high-quality balanced mono analog inputs. Three different gain levels can be set in the Control Panel via high-quality relays:

High:    maximum level at 0.5V_rms input level

Mid:      maximum level at 1.3V_rms input level

Low:     maximum level at 2.0V_rms input level

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is typically around 109dB.

y

Question 5:

Why is the "Digital In" channel disabled (grayed out) in the Control Panel?

Answer 5:

This channel is only available if a signal has been applied to the digital input and the MasterClock switch is set to "External".

y

Question 6:

How can I send AC3 or DTS to an external decoder when playing DVDs?

Answer 6:

Select "NonAudio" for the digital output in the Control Panel under "Routing". This setting mutes the Digital Play path in the digital mixer so that the non-audio signals are not also sent to the analog outputs.

y

Question 7:

The MasterClock won't adjust to the sample rate of the file to be played. What can I do about it?

Answer 7:

Unlike PCI cards, the PHASE 24 FW system cannot automatically synchronize to the required sample rate. Select the sample rate manually using the dropdown menu in the Control Panel to avoid a SRC. The sample rate set in the control panel will always be applied.

y

Question 8:

The volume controls in the Control Panel don't work.

Answer 8:

As the controls in the Control Panel directly control the hardware mixer, the digital mixer must be routed to the outputs. For example, if you route Wave Play 1/2 or Analog In 1/2 directly to the output, the mixer will be bypassed and therefore will not work.

y

Question 9:

The Windows volume control doesn't work.

Answer 9:

As the PHASE 24 FW is a professional audio interface, the Windows mixer is bypassed completely to prevent it from adversely affecting the signal quality. You can control all of the functions directly via the included Control Panel, however.

y

Question 10:

What latencies can I achieve in ASIO mode?

Answer 10:

Latencies of less than 4ms are possible on modern, well-configured systems.

y

Question 11:

I get noise (clicks) when recording and during playback.

Answer 11:

In most cases this problem is the result of the interrupt (IRQ) assignment. Please check the IRQ of your IEEE1394 (FireWire™) port. If you need help doing so, please refer to the driver CD for the document "Interrupt Request Tutorial" which covers these problems. The document is also available in our support area.

If the problem is not the result of a resource conflict, increase the buffer sizes in the ASIO ControlPanel or in the host applications (Wavelab, Cool Edit Pro, etc.).

y

Question 12:

Why does the PHASE 24 FW have two FireWire™ ports?

Answer 12:

Unlike USB, FireWire™ is a bus system. In other words, every FireWire™ device has a full-featured port for further equipment, so that individual devices can also be connected in series. OK, it's currently only possible to link 64 devices in practice, but who has that many peripherals?  Hubs—like those used by USB devices—are therefore superfluous as long as the cable length between the individual devices does not exceed 4.5 meters or a total of 72 meters, as this would cause problems due to signal attenuation. The connected devices will still work if one of the intermediate devices is turned off—the remaining devices will continue to communicate via the ports. Please ensure that you don't create a loop—at some point you must have a final device without a further connection.        

The PHASE 24 FW also has two connections for this reason. Which of the two ports you use to connect it to your computer is up to you—the sockets are identical.

Be careful nevertheless, there are a number of potential stumbling blocks. The values listed above are theoretical. Most camcorders, for example, do not comply with IEEE 1394 and transmit their data without consideration of standards or potential losses. You should also consider that a complex audio production may use the full bus width (400 Mbps in theory, but it may be considerably lower in practice). Should you have problems with additional FireWire™ devices connected to the PHASE 24 FW, please connect them to a different controller port.

y

Question 13:

Can I use the PHASE 24 FW "stand alone" as an A/D or D/A converter?

Answer 13:

The PHASE 24 FW stores the last settings used in the Control Panel and can apply them when it has power, even without being connected to a computer. It can then be used as a high-quality A/D or D/A converter.

y

Question 14:

How long is the included FireWire™ cable, and can I replace it with a longer one?

Answer 14:

The included cable is 1.80m long, and the maximum permissible cable length is 4.50m. Caution: when using longer cables, please ensure that they are of sufficiently high quality.

y

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