Sonifex Auricon PC-AUR44 User manual

Manufacturers of audio & video
products for radio & TV broadcasters
PC-AUR44
Auricon 4.4 PCIe Analogue
Sound Card
HANDBOOK

PC-AUR44 Handbook
Made in the UK by
This handbook is for use with the following product:
PC-AUR44 Auricon 4.4 PCIe Analogue Sound Card
Stock Code: 30-400
©Sonifex Ltd, 2014
All Rights Reserved
Revision 1.02, December 2014
Sonifex Ltd, 61, Station Road, Irthlingborough,
Northants, NN9 5QE, England.
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]o.uk
Website: http://www.sonifex.co.uk
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of the vendor. Sonifex Ltd shall not be liable for any loss or damage
whatsoever arising from the use of information or any error contained in this manual.
No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, information storage and retrieval systems, for any
purpose other than the purchaser’s personal use, without the express written permission of Sonifex
Ltd. Unless otherwise noted, all names of companies, products and persons contained herein are part
of a completely fictitious adaptation and are designed solely to document the use of Sonifex product.
Contents
Product Warranty - 2 Year Extended ii
Sonifex Warranty & Liability Terms & Conditions ii
Repairs & Returns iv
CE Declaration of Conformity and Approval Information v
WEEE Directive vi
RoHS Directive vi
Atmosphere vi
Electromagnetic Compatibility vi
Introduction 1
Notes Regarding Windows Version Differences 2
Installation 2
Configuration 3
Operation: Windows 8, 7, Vista & Server 2012, 2008-R2, 2008 3
Audio Endpoints 3
Mixer API 4
Audio Engine 4
Windows Vista / 7 / 8 Mono Recording Bug 4
DirectSound and WDM Kernel Streaming 5
WaveRT on Windows 8, 7, Vista & Server 2012, 2008-R2
& 2008 5
Topology 5
Extended Bit Depth Audio 6
Hyperthreading & Audio 6
Connecting the Auricon 4.4 to Unbalanced Inputs and Outputs 6
Functional Description 7
Auricon 4.4 Pinout 8
Auricon 4.4 Topology 9
Output Mixing 10
5.1 & 7.1 Surround Sound Playback and Recording Driver 11
Technical Specification For PC-AUR44 15
Figures
Fig 1-1: Connecting the Auricon 4.4 to Unbalanced Inputs 7
Fig 1-2: Connecting the Auricon 4.4 to Unbalanced Inputs
Without a Transformer 7
Fig 1-3: Connecting the Auricon 4.4 to Unbalanced Outputs 7
Table 1-1: Auricon 4.4 Pinout 8
Fig 1-4: Auricon 4.4 Topology 9
Fig 1-5: Output Mixing 10

Warranty Registration
Sonifex Limited y61 Station Road yIrthlingborough yNorthamptonshire yNN9 5QE yUnited Kingdom
Tel: [phone] yFax: [phone] yEmail: [email protected] yInternet: www.sonifex.co.uk
As standard, Sonifex products are supplied with a 1 year back to base warranty.
If you register the product online, you can increase your product warranty to
2 years and we can also keep you informed of any product design improvements
or modifications.
To register your product, please go online to www.sonifex.co.uk/register
Register Online for an
Extended 2 Year Warranty

ii
Warranty
Product Warranty - 2 Year Extended
As standard, Sonifex products are supplied with a 1 year back to base
warranty. In order to register the date of purchase and so that we can keep
you informed of any product design improvements or modifications, it is
important to complete the warranty registration online. Additionally, if you
register the product on the Sonifex website within 30 days of purchase, you
can increase your product warranty to 2 years. Go to the Sonifex website at:
http://www.sonifex.co.uk/technical/register/index.asp to apply for your 2
year warranty.
Note: For your own records the product serial number is recorded on the
CE certification page of this handbook.
Sonifex Warranty & Liability Terms & Conditions
1. Definitions
‘the Company’ means Sonifex Ltd and where relevant includes companies
within the same group of companies as Sonifex Limited.
‘the Goods’ means the goods or any part thereof supplied by the Company
and where relevant includes: work carried out by the Company on items
supplied by the Purchaser; services supplied by the Company; and software
supplied by the Company.
‘the Purchaser’ means the person or organisation who buys or has agreed
to buy the Goods.
‘the Price’ means the Price of the Goods and any other charges incurred by
the Company in the supply of the Goods.
‘the Warranty Term’ is the length of the product warranty which is usually
12 months from the date of despatch; except when the product has been
registered at the Sonifex website when the Warranty Term is 24 months
from the date of despatch.
‘the Contract’ means the quotation, these Conditions of Sale and any
other document incorporated in a contract between the Company and the
Purchaser.
This is the entire Contract between the parties relating to the subject
matter hereof and may not be changed or terminated except in writing in
accordance with the provisions of this Contract. A reference to the consent,
acknowledgement, authority or agreement of the Company means in
writing and only by a director of the Company.
2. Warranty
a. The Company agrees to repair or (at its discretion) replace Goods
which are found to be defective (fair wear and tear excepted) and
which are returned to the Company within the Warranty Term
provided that each of the following are satisfied:
i. notification of any defect is given to the Company immediately
upon its becoming apparent to the Purchaser;
ii. the Goods have only been operated under normal operating
conditions and have only been subject to normal use (and
in particular the Goods must have been correctly connected
and must not have been subject to high voltage or to ionising
radiation and must not have been used contrary to the
Company’s technical recommendations);
iii. the Goods are returned to the Company’s premises at the
Purchaser’s expense;
iv. any Goods or parts of Goods replaced shall become the
property of the Company;
v. no work whatsoever (other than normal and proper
maintenance) has been carried out to the Goods or any part of
the Goods without the Company’s prior written consent;

iii
Warranty
vi. the defect has not arisen from a design made, furnished or
specified by the Purchaser;
vii. the Goods have been assembled or incorporated into other
goods only in accordance with any instructions issued by the
Company;
viii. the defect has not arisen from a design modified by the
Purchaser;
ix. the defect has not arisen from an item manufactured by
a person other than the Company. In respect of any item
manufactured by a person other than the Company, the
Purchaser shall only be entitled to the benefit of any warranty or
guarantee provided by such manufacturer to the Company.
b. In respect of computer software supplied by the Company the
Company does not warrant that the use of the software will be
uninterrupted or error free.
c. The Company accepts liability:
(i) for death or personal injury to the extent that it results from the
negligence of the Company, its employees (whilst in the course
of their employment) or its agents (in the course of the agency);
(ii) for any breach by the Company of any statutory undertaking as
to title, quiet possession and freedom from encumbrance.
c. Subject to conditions (a) and (c) from the time of despatch of
the Goods from the Company’s premises the Purchaser shall be
responsible for any defect in the Goods or loss, damage, nuisance
or interference whatsoever consequential economic or otherwise or
wastage of material resulting from or caused by or to the Goods. In
particular the Company shall not be liable for any loss of profits or
other economic losses. The Company accordingly excludes all liability
for the same.
e. At the request and expense of the Purchaser the Company will test
the Goods to ascertain performance levels and provide a report of
the results of that test. The report will be accurate at the time of the
test, to the best of the belief and knowledge of the Company, and the
Company accepts no liability in respect of its accuracy beyond that
set out in Condition (a).
f. Subject to Condition (e) no representation, condition, warranty or
other term, express or implied (by statute or otherwise) is given by
the Company that the Goods are of any particular quality or standard
or will enable the Purchaser to attain any particular performance
or result, or will be suitable for any particular purpose or use
under specific conditions or will provide any particular capacity,
notwithstanding that the requirement for such performance, result or
capacity or that such particular purpose or conditions may have been
known (or ought to have been known) to the Company, its employees
or agents.
g. (i) To the extent that the Company is held legally liable to the
Purchaser for any single breach of contract, tort, representation
or other act or default, the Company’s liability for the same
shall not exceed the price of the Goods.
(ii) The restriction of liability in Condition (g)(i) shall not apply to
any liability accepted by the Seller in Condition (c).
h. Where the Goods are sold under a consumer transaction (as defined
by the Consumer Transactions (Restrictions on Statements) Order
1976) the statutory rights of the Purchaser are not affected by these
Conditions of Sale.

iv
Warranty
Unpacking Your Product
Each product is shipped in protective packaging and should be inspected
for damage before use. If there is any transit damage take pictures of the
product packaging and notify the carrier immediately with all the relevant
details of the shipment. Packing materials should be kept for inspection and
also for if the product needs to be returned.
The product is shipped with the following equipment so please check to
ensure that you have all of the items below. If anything is missing, please
contact the supplier of your equipment immediately.
Item Quantity
Product Unit 1
Handbook 1
Driver CD 1
If you require a different power lead, please let us know when ordering the
product.
Repairs & Returns
Please contact Sonifex or your supplier if you have any problems with your
Sonifex product. Email [e-mail] for the repair/
upgrade/returns procedure, or for support & questions regarding the
product operation.
പ

v
CE Certification
61 Station Road • Irthlingborough • Northants
NN9 5QE • United Kingdom • www.sonifex.co.uk
T: [phone] • F: [phone]
Registered Office • 61 Station Road • Irthlingborough • Registered in England 1717864 • VAT Reg No. GB 119 85 32 52
CE Declaration of Conformity
and Approval Information
Product:
Serial No:
This document certifies that the Sonifex product that you have purchased is
compliant with CE specifications. If you would like further information on
compliance of all Sonifex products, please check the website at the address
above where full information is available.
Sonifex Limited hereby certify that the following product with serial
number shown has been designed and manufactured in accordance with
the following specifications:
EMC: EN 55103-1: 1997 Electromagnetic Compatibility.
Limits of disturbance for audio apparatus for professional use
For use in environments 1 to 4.
EN 55103-2: 1997 Electromagnetic Compatibility.
Limits of disturbance for audio apparatus for professional use
For use in environments 1 to 4.
Safety: EN 60950: 1992 Safety of Information Technology Equipment
Including Electrical Business Equipment.
Hybrid BS6301, BS7002, BS415, CTR21,
Approvals: R&TTE directive (1999/5/EC)
The Reference Technical Justification File for this product is available at
Sonifex Ltd.
Authorised By:
Name: Chris Stills
Position: Technical Director
Date of Issue: 01 December 2014
Signature:

vi
Safety & Installation
WEEE Directive
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
Directive was agreed on 13 February 2003, along with the
related Directive 2002/95/EC on Restrictions of the use of
certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic
equipment (RoHS). The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive
(WEEE) aims to minimise the impacts of electrical and electronic equipment
on the environment during their life times and when they become waste.
All products manufactured by Sonifex Ltd have the WEEE directive label
placed on the case. Sonifex Ltd will be happy to give you information about
local organisations that can reprocess the product when it reaches its “end
of use”, or alternatively all products that have reached “end of use” can be
returned to Sonifex and will be reprocessed correctly free of charge.
RoHS Directive
The RoHS directive limits the use of certain hazardous
substances currently used in EEE manufacture, including
lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and
halide-containing compounds PBB (polybrominated biphenyl) and PBDE
(polybrominated diphenyl ether). Elimination of these substances will result
in more environmentally friendly recycling of electronic equipment.
Sonifex Ltd practices lead-free (LF) manufacturing processes and does not
use any of the hazardous substances identified in the European Union’s
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. The manufacturing
processes include the assembly of purchased components from various
sources. Product is offered as RoHS compliant, or LF, only after sufficient
evidence is received from the component manufacturers that their
components are RoHS compliant. Sonifex Ltd relies solely on the distributor,
or manufacturer, of the components for identification of RoHS compliance.
Thus whilst every effort is made to ensure compliance, Sonifex Ltd makes
no warranty, or certification, or declaration of compliance concerning said
components.
Atmosphere
The units should be installed in an area that is not subject to excessive
temperature variation (<0°C, >50°C), moisture, dust or vibration.
Electromagnetic Compatibility
Warning: This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product
may cause radio interference in which case the user may be required to
take adequate measures.
This product complies with the relevant tested clauses of AS/NZS CISPR
22:2009 +A1:2010 and AS/NZS CISPR 13:2012.
This product complies with the relevant tested clauses of EN55022:2010,
EN55013:2013, EN55024:2010, EN61000-3-2:2009 and EN61000-3-3:2013.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits
for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These
limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own
expense.

1
Introduction 1
provides audio buffering, level adjustment and mixing functions. Hardware
sampling rates of 48kHz, 96kHz and 192kHz are available, with the Windows
sampling rate converter transparently providing support for other rates. The
card supports extended bit depths to 32 bit and the software sampling rate
and bit depth (32, 24, 16 or 8 bits PCM) can be set independently for each
input and output channel.
Windows Wave, DirectSound and DirectShow API’s are supported, as are a
variety of audio compression modes via the Windows Audio Compression
Manager or other software compression systems. On Windows Vista/Server
2008 and later systems, the Core Audio API is also fully supported.
There are four configuration settings for the Auricon 4.4, these being Mode
(stereo/mono), H/W Sampling Rate, Input Coupling and Nominal Line Level.
The mode may be configured as either stereo or mono. In mono mode the
number of input and output channels that Windows sees is doubled. The
nominal line level can be set to +8dBu, +4dBu or 0dBu. In each case the
clipping level is 16dB above the nominal level. The input coupling can be set
to either DC or AC (the default is AC).
The playback topology consists of a master output level, mute control and
peak meter, and input monitor level and mute controls for each of the line
inputs. The record topology consists of a master input level, mute control
and peak meter, and level controls and mutes for the physical input and
digital loopback. The digital loopback allows the output of the card to be
digitally mixed back into the input. The range on the input and output
master controls is -96dB to +6dB, while the individual line controls range
from -96dB to 0dB.
Multiple cards may be installed in a single PC.
Two 44-pin high-density D-type connector to XLRs breakout leads are
offered as an option; either 4 stereo inputs and 1 stereo output, or 4 stereo
outputs and 1 stereo input.
Introduction
The Auricon 4.4 is a professional quality 4 stereo input and 4 stereo output
analogue PCIe audio card. The inputs and outputs can be reconfigured as
separate mono channels, giving eight inputs and outputs.
It is supplied with a Windows WDM driver to provide full sound card
functionality under Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, Windows
7, Server 2008R2, Windows 8 and Server 2012.
The card uses 24-bit 192kHz sigma-delta converters which pass data to
and from the PC via a single lane PCI Express interface. An onboard FPGA

2
1 Installation
Notes Regarding Windows Version Differences
Windows XP and Server 2003 are the only current versions of Windows that
provide complete support for “traditional” WDM audio drivers. Windows
8, 7, Vista and corresponding server versions provide limited support for
applications using the legacy audio APIs, while adding a new Core Audio API
offering greater functionality. The following limitations apply when using
the Auricon 4.4 with various versions of Windows.
• Windows 8, 7, Vista and corresponding server versions virtualise the
mixer API to each application, providing only a mute and volume control
on each input and output. These controls affect only the audio levels
going to and from that application. A Windows XP compatibility mode is
available in Windows Vista to provide full mixer access to the hardware
if needed.
• Peak meters for WDM drivers are only available through the mixer API
under Windows XP and Server 2003 (and Windows Vista running in
XP-compatibility mode). Windows 8, 7, Vista and corresponding server
versions provide an IAudioMeterInformation interface as part of their
EndpointVolume API, but this isn’t supported on any of the earlier
platforms.
• In all versions prior to Windows Vista, Microsoft’s sampling rate
converter, which is automatically switched in when playing or recording
audio streams at sampling rates other than the card’s hardware rate, is
slightly inaccurate when doing some conversions. The error is typically
at most about 0.3%. The most common conversion, that of 44.1kHz to or
from 48kHz, is handled correctly, though, as are simple 2:1 ratios.
Installation
The software package consists of the driver installation file (Auricon44.
inf or Auricon44x64.inf), the kernel-mode driver (Auricon44.sys), the
configuration DLL (Auricon44Coinstaller32.dll or Auricon44Coinstaller64.dll)
and the catalogue file (Auricon44.cat or Auricon44x64.cat).
Switch off the computer and carefully install the Auricon card in any
free PCIe slot, observing the normal precautions against static electricity
discharge. Then switch the computer back on and boot Windows.
Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008 - Windows will report that
new hardware has been found and the New Hardware wizard will start.
Insert the driver CD supplied with the card and proceed through the wizard.
Allow Windows to search for the driver – do NOT specify a driver location
or file name.
Windows 7, 8, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012 – Windows no longer searches
removable media for drivers. Open Device Manager, where the Auricon will
be listed under Other Devices as a Multimedia Audio Controller. Right-click
on it, select Update Driver Software, then click on Browse my computer for
driver software and click on the Browse button to navigate to the driver’s
location. Click on Next to install the driver.
On Windows XP and Server 2003, you may be warned that the driver has
not passed Windows Logo testing. Click on Continue Anyway to proceed
with the installation.
Windows 8, 7, Vista, Server 2012, 2008-R2 and 2008 will recognise Innes
Corporation’s own digital signature on the driver and invite you to proceed
with the installation. If you wish you can tick the box to always accept Innes
Corporation drivers.
At the completion of the installation process a loudspeaker symbol should
appear in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. Your Auricon is now fully
operational. If the speaker does not appear, it may be necessary to reboot

3
Configuration 1
your PC. This typically happens if there has been no sound card previously
installed in the PC. Windows XP (prior to Service Pack 1) and Server 2003 by
default have the loudspeaker symbol turned off. To enable it, go into Control
Panel, select Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices, then click on Sounds and
Audio Devices, and finally tick the box marked Place volume icon in the task
bar.
Configuration
There are three configuration settings for the Auricon 4.4, these being
stereo/mono mode, nominal line level, input topology and input coupling.
The mode may be configured as either stereo or mono. In mono mode the
number of input and output channels that Windows sees is doubled.
The nominal line level can be set to +8dBu, +4dBu or 0dBu. In each case the
clipping level is 16dB above the nominal level.
The input coupling can be set to either DC or AC (the default is AC). The AC
coupling corner frequency is approximately 0.1Hz. Note this is applied after
the analogue amplifiers, so a differential DC offset on the inputs can cause
premature clipping.
To change the configuration, right-click on the My Computer icon on the
desktop (or in the Start menu in the case of XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server
2008 and 7), select Properties, then click on Device Manager. On Windows
8 and Server 2012, open the Control Panel, go to System and Security and
then System, and open Device Manager from the link in the left hand pane.
Open Sound, video and game controllers, then right-click on Auricon 4.4 and
select Properties. Now click on the Configuration tab and select the desired
mode, line level and/or topology. Under Windows XP and Server 2003 it may
take a minute or so for Windows to reconfigure itself and the screen may
flicker during this time. Be patient!
Operation on Windows 8, 7, Vista
and Server 2012, 2008-R2, 2008
The audio subsystem of Windows 8, 7, Vista and corresponding server
versions has changed substantially from earlier versions of Windows,
although most applications should continue to work without modification.
The major differences likely to affect users of the Auricon 4.4 are described
below.
Audio Endpoints
Key to the new system is the concept of audio endpoints. These are the
physical audio sources and destinations, such as microphones, speakers and
line connectors.
Previously, an audio capture device would typically have multiple inputs
which were combined in a mixer or selector. Under Windows Vista and later,
each input is represented by its own device, and Windows itself operates
the card’s selector to route the chosen source to the A/D converter.
In the case of the Auricon 4.4, each of the physical line inputs is represented
by an endpoint device, and as the hardware has separate A/D converters for
each one, they can be used simultaneously. There are also virtual endpoint
devices for the digital loopback sources, although by default these are
disabled. To enable these sources, right-click on the loudspeaker symbol
at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, select Recording Devices,
right-click anywhere in the window and select Show Disabled Devices.
Now right-click on the desired Wave Out Mix device and select Enable. This
source will now appear as one of the available audio recording devices.
Note that when an application is recording from a loopback endpoint, the
corresponding line input is unavailable, and vice versa.
Windows has a default playback endpoint and a default recording endpoint,
which are typically used by applications where the input or output device
cannot be explicitly chosen. After the Auricon 4.4 driver is installed,

4
1 Configuration
the first channel is set as the default for playback and record but this
can be changed by right-clicking on the loudspeaker symbol, selecting
Playback Devices or Recording Devices, and then right-clicking on the
desired endpoint and selecting Set as Default Device. The default device is
remembered across reboots and should not need to be set again.
Mixer API
By default, the mixer API is virtualised for each application, providing just
a mute and volume control for each endpoint and affecting only the audio
going to and from that application. The hardware controls on the card itself
are not accessible from the mixer API in this default mode.
For applications that need direct access to the hardware mixer controls,
or that need access to the line input monitor controls or peak meter
nodes, there are two options. Firstly, if it is a new application being
written specifically for Windows Vista or later system, it can be designed
to use the Core Audio APIs, which include the DeviceTopology API and
the EndpointVolume API (which includes the IAudioEndpointVolume
and IAudioMeterInformation interfaces). These are documented in the
Windows 7 SDK which is available from Microsoft, however note that these
APIs don’t work with earlier versions of Windows.
Alternatively, applications can be given access to the hardware mixer
controls through the mixer API by right-clicking on the application’s icon,
selecting Properties, clicking on the Compatibility tab and selecting Run this
program in compatibility mode for Windows XP Service Pack 2. Be aware,
though, that in this compatibility mode, the Auricon 4.4 card is represented
by a single mixer device with destination lines for each of the individual
inputs and outputs, which is slightly different to its behaviour under
Windows XP where each input/output pair had its own mixer device. How
this will work with any particular application that uses the mixer API can
only be determined by experimentation.
Audio Engine
The Windows audio engine runs at a fixed sampling rate and bit depth. By
default, the Auricon 4.4 driver sets the sampling rate to the card’s hardware
rate and the bit depth to 24-bit for all the inputs and outputs. The Windows
sampling rate converter is used whenever a different sampling rate or bit
depth is requested by applications. The engine bit depth for each endpoint
can be changed to 16-bit if required by selecting the endpoint, clicking on
Properties, and then clicking on the Advanced tab.
If your applications will be playing or recording at rates higher than 48kHz,
you will need to set the card’s hardware rate to 96kHz or 192kHz otherwise
Windows will down-sample to 48kHz.
Windows Vista / 7 / 8 Mono Recording Bug
Windows Vista / 7 / 8 has a bug which causes mono recording streams to
capture only the left channel of the source, rather than mixing the left and
right as previous versions did. As a workaround until this is fixed, the driver
provides a Mono Mix recording endpoint for each of the card’s inputs. By
default these are disabled, but can be individually enabled as follows.
Right-click on the loudspeaker symbol in the bottom right hand corner of
the screen and select Recording Devices. Right-click on any of the sources
and check Show Disabled Devices, which should then reveal two additional
sources called Input 1 Mono Mix and Input 2 Mono Mix. To enable these,
right-click on them and select Enable. Note that, after enabling, it will still
show as currently unavailable as these endpoints are multiplexed with the
normal stereo inputs and are only activated when opened by a recording
application. Also be aware that, for the same reason, the stereo and mono
mix endpoints for the same source can’t be used simultaneously.
The Mono Mix endpoints should be used for communications applications
such as Skype which open a mono capture stream.

5
Configuration 1
DirectSound and WDM Kernel
Streaming
Microsoft’s DirectSound and Windows Driver Model (WDM) are designed
to work hand in hand to take full advantage of audio card hardware and
provide kernel-mode software emulation of features not directly supported.
Kernel streaming allows audio data to be passed directly between driver
modules resulting in a robust, high performance integrated sound
processing system.
With its WDM driver, the Auricon can play MIDI files and audio CDs in
addition to Wave files. The kernel mixer allows multiple sounds from the
same or different applications to be played simultaneously, while the
kernel splitter automatically splits an input source to multiple applications.
Sampling rate conversion is automatically inserted if any of the playback or
recording streams differ from the card’s hardware sampling rate.
WaveRT on Windows 8, 7, Vista and Server 2012,
2008-R2 and 2008
The Auricon 4.4 uses the WaveRT driver model on Windows 8, 7, Vista and
corresponding server versions, giving the card’s PCI controller and digital
signal processor direct access to the audio engine’s buffers and position
registers. This allows audio transfers to proceed without any driver code
involvement, eliminating transitions to and from kernel mode and thus
improving efficiency and responsiveness. The card supports both pull mode
(the native mode for Windows 7 and 8) and push mode.
Topology
The Auricon 4.4 topology is shown in the diagrams at the end of this manual.
The playback topology consists of a master output level, mute control and
peak meter, and input monitor level and mute controls for each of the line
inputs. To these the kernel mixer adds virtual level and mute controls for
wave, synthesizer and CD outputs.
The record topology consists of a master input level, mute control and
peak meter, and level controls and mutes for the physical input and digital
loopback.
The digital loopback allows the output of the card to be digitally mixed
back into the input. This function is muted when Windows’ Digital Rights
Management detects that protected audio is being played, in accordance
with Microsoft’s specifications. Note: Under Windows 8, 7, Vista and
corresponding server versions, the loopback endpoint is disabled by default.
See the section on Windows 8, 7, Vista and Server 2012, 2008-R2 and 2008
above for instructions on how to enable it.
The range on the input and output master controls is -96dB to +6dB, while
the individual line controls range from -96dB to 0dB. Note that, for reasons
known only to Microsoft, on Windows 7 and Vista Service Pack 1 the 0dB
setting on the playback Master Volume control is 67, while on Windows 8 it
is 75.
To access the playback and record mixer controls on Windows XP, Server
2003 and earlier, double-click on the loudspeaker symbol at the bottom right
hand corner of the screen. On Windows Vista and later, right-click on the
loudspeaker symbol, select Playback Devices or Recording Devices, select the
desired endpoint, click on Properties, and then click on the Levels tab.

6
1 Configuration
Extended Bit Depth Audio
Traditionally, PC-based audio capture and playback has been restricted to
either 8 bit or 16 bit encoding, with the WAVE_FORMAT_PCM descriptor
used to define the audio parameters such as samples per second, bits per
sample and number of channels.
With the advent of 24 bit A/D and D/A converters, there was a need to
support extended bit depth. To achieve this, Microsoft introduced a new
data format descriptor called WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE. This provides
additional information, including the number of valid bits per sample and
support for specifying channel placement in multi-channel streams.
The WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE descriptor may be used in place of
the normal WAVE_FORMAT_PCM in setting up playback and recording
through either the Winmm (wave) API or the DirectSound API. For further
information refer to the Microsoft DirectX 8 documentation.
Some audio editing applications, such as Syntrillium’s Cooledit 2000 and
Adobe Audition, support extended bit depth audio and work well with the
Auricon 4.4 using 24 or 32 bit recording.
Hyperthreading & Audio
Some motherboard processors offer hyperthreading, a technology lying
midway between single core and fully independent multiple processor
cores. A hyperthreaded processor provides parallel execution paths for
multiple threads, however there remain some shared resources such as the
memory caches and the floating point processor.
For most applications this is fine and results in a substantial improvement
in performance for a given processor complexity, however for time-critical
audio applications a problem can arise, when a low-priority thread is using
a shared resource that the high-priority audio thread requires. Since the
processor has no concept of thread priorities, the high-priority thread is
blocked until that resource becomes free, resulting in gaps on playback or
skipping while recording.
If this proves to be a problem on a hyperthreaded system, the
hyperthreading can usually be disabled in one of the BIOS settings. Refer to
the motherboard or system documentation for details on how to do this.
Note that this problem does not occur on true multicore processors.
Connecting the Auricon 4.4 to
Unbalanced Inputs and Outputs
Most professional audio equipment, including the Auricon sound card, uses
high level balanced audio interconnections. Commercial radio stations in
Australia typically use a nominal programme level of +8dBu, while the ABC,
SBS and many production houses use +4dBu. In the USA 0dBu is commonly
used.
By contrast, domestic audio equipment uses low level unbalanced
interconnections, typically at a level of about 100mV rms (about -18dBu).
The best way to interconnect between these two systems is with a
balancing amplifier. Failing that, it is still possible to achieve an acceptable
interconnection, particularly when going from a high level balanced output
to a low level unbalanced input.
In the diagram below, the transformer does the balanced to unbalanced
conversion and the resistors adjust the level. It is preferable to use a
1:1 transformer and the resistive attenuator rather than a stepdown
transformer as this will help minimise capacitive coupling of common mode
noise across the transformer windings.
Note that you should never ground one side of a balanced output. Doing so
will most likely damage the output drivers.

7
Configuration 1
Fig 1-1: Connecting the Auricon 4.4 to Unbalanced Inputs
It is possible to achieve an acceptable connection without using a balancing
amplifier or transformer, provided the cable distance is short, and the
following connection method is followed:
Fig 1-2: Connecting the Auricon 4.4 to Unbalanced Inputs Without a Transformer
In the diagram above, the non-phase output signal is left disconnected, this
is necessary to prevent damage to the Auricon 4.4 output amplifier.
The output level will be 6dB lower than expected due to the non-
connection of the non-phase signal.
Should there be a phase error in your system, simply disconnect the phase
output signal and connect the non-phase signal to the unbalanced input
instead.
Fig 1-3: Connecting the Auricon 4.4 to Unbalanced Outputs
Going the other way from unbalanced to balanced is easy if the signal
level is adequate. Simply connect the balanced input across the active
and earth of the unbalanced output. In most cases, though, the level at
the unbalanced output will be too low so you will need an amplifier. If this
is the case it is probably best to do the job properly and use a balancing
amplifier.
Finally, note that the shields on the audio cables should only be connected
at one end. In the world of balanced audio, the shields are simply that -
electrostatic screens - and should not be used for earth returns.
Functional Description
The balanced audio inputs are buffered, attenuated and filtered prior to
being coupled into the A/D converters. From the D/A converters, differential
line driver amplifiers provide a maximum output level of +24dBm and also
incorporate low pass filtering to attenuate the out-of-band noise produced
by the converters.
Digitized audio is passed in serial form between the converters and the
Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA. The FPGA provides circular buffers as short term FIFO
storage to cover latency times between PCIe transfers, and also performs
the level adjustment and mixing functions. Card-initiated bus mastering is
used for audio data transfer through the FPGA’s integrated PCIe endpoint.
Unbalanced
Input Balanced
Output
Shielded Twisted Pair
Unbalanced
Input Balanced
Output
Shielded Single Core ++
-x
Unbalanced
Output Balanced
Input
Shielded Twisted Pair

8
1 Configuration
The converters operate at a sampling rate of 48kHz, 96kHz or 192kHz
according to the driver setting.
The Auricon supports standby and hibernation power management modes.
Auricon 4.4 Pinout
High Density 44-Pin Female Connector
Input Pin Output Pin
1 Left + 7 1 Left + 44
1 Left - 22 1 Left - 14
1 Right + 36 1 Right + 29
1 Right - 6 1 Right - 43
2 Left + 35 2 Left + 28
2 Left - 5 2 Left - 42
2 Right + 20 2 Right + 12
2 Right - 34 2 Right - 27
3 Left + 19 3 Left + 11
3 Left - 33 3 Left - 26
3 Right + 3 3 Right + 40
3 Right - 18 3 Right - 10
4 Left + 2 4 Left + 39
4 Left - 17 4 Left - 9
4 Right + 31 4 Right + 24
4 Right - 1 4 Right - 38
Ground: 4, 8, 13, 15, 16, 21, 23, 25, 30, 32, 37, 41
When configured for mono operation, channel A is 1 left, channel B is 1
right, etc.
Table 1-1: Auricon 4.4 Pinout

9
Configuration 1
Playback Software
Device A
Analogue Output 1
Analogue Input 1
Analogue Output 2
Analogue Input 2
Record Software
Device A
Playback Master
Line Input 1
Line Input 2
Line Input 1
Loopback
Loopback
Line Input 2
Line Input 1
Line Input 2
Line Input 1
Line Input 2
Record Master
Playback Master
Record Master
Record Software
Device B
Wave Out
Midi Synth
CD
Wave Out
Midi Synth
CD
Playback Software
Device B
Auricon 4.4 Topology
Fig 1-4: Auricon 4.4 Topology

10
1 Configuration
Output Mixing
The Auricon 4.4 presents itself to the operating system as multiple
independent wave output devices. Each device can support any number of
output streams, courtesy of the Windows Kernel Mixer or Audio Engine.
The topology of each output device is shown below. It consists of the kernel
mixer that combines any number of individual waveOut and DirectSound
audio streams (applying sampling rate conversion if need be), followed
by the “Wave Out” level control. Midi and CD streams are also added at
this point. This is then followed by the Auricon mixer (implemented in the
on-card FPGA) that adds the input sources (four if configured as stereo and
Any Number Of Wave Out Streams
Windows Kernel Mixer
Auricon Mixer
Playback Master
Software Synth
Redbook
Analogue Input 1
Analogue Output
Analogue Input 2
Analogue Input 3
Analogue Input 4
Inputs 3 And 4 Only Present In Mono Configuration
Wave Out
Midi
Line Input 1
Line Input 2
Line Input 3
Line Input 4
CD
Any Number Of Direct Sound Streams
Direct Sound Stream
Direct Sound Stream
Wave Out Stream
Wave Out Stream
eight if configured as mono), master level control and peakmeter.
All level controls include a mute control as well.
Each waveOut stream is created by opening an instance of
the waveOut device. Each DirectSound stream corresponds to
a DirectSoundBuffer object. There is no limit to the number
of streams that can be opened on each device. Note that
with versions of Windows prior to Vista, only DirectSound
streams have individual level controls – these are set using
the DirectSoundBuffer.SetVolume method. The Windows
documentation suggests that waveOutSetVolume should also
adjust the level of individual waveOut streams but this doesn’t
seem to work - instead changing the level of one stream actually
changes the setting of the kernel mixer’s “Wave Out” fader and
thus affects the level of every stream on that device.
Fig 1-5: Output Mixing

11
Appendix A – Surround Sound Playback and Recording Driver 2
Overview
With hardware revision 2 and driver version 8.0.0.3502, the Auricon 4.4
exposes additional eight-channel input and output subdevices which are
overlayed onto the existing four stereo channels, allowing 5.1 and 7.1 audio
files to be created, recorded and played back. Eight-channel audio output is
mixed with that of the corresponding stereo outputs, while captured audio
is replicated in both the 8-channel input and the stereo inputs. Separate
level and mute controls are provided for each format.
The 8-channel output subdevice is defined as a speaker endpoint, allowing
speaker locations to be assigned for the playback of 7.1 and 5.1 surround
sound.
Since Windows doesn’t assign locations for multi-channel inputs, the
8-channel input is simply defined as another line connector.
5.1 & 7.1 Driver Requirements
• Auricon 4.4 card with firmware revision 2 or later.
• Auricon 4.4 driver version 8.0.0.3502 or later.
• Windows Vista or later (the driver doesn’t support surround sound on
XP).
• The card must be configured for stereo on the driver configuration page.
• The card must have four stereo inputs (for 8-channel input) and/or four
stereo outputs (for 8-channel output). For cards set to fewer channels, an
expansion key can be purchased.
Setup
The 8-channel input and output subdevices are disabled by default, so as
not to disturb any existing applications expecting to see only four stereo
inputs and outputs on the card.
To enable them, follow this procedure:
• Right-click on the loudspeaker symbol in the bottom right and corner of
the screen and select Playback devices.
• Right-click on one of the existing devices and tick Show Disabled Devices.
A disabled playback device called Speakers (Auricon 4.4) should appear.
5.1 & 7.1 Surround Sound Playback and Recording Driver

2 Appendix A – Surround Sound Playback and Recording Driver
12
• Right-click on this device and select Enable.
• Repeat this for the Recording devices.
Speakers Properties General Tab
Right click on the Speakers (Auricon 4.4) icon and select Properties. The
Properties page for the Speakers device appears as follows:
Speakers Properties Levels Tab
Click on the ‘Levels’ tab to show and alter the output levels.