Hot Tips and Support

If the settings in the Antex Mixer do not stay, please download this driver and then Un-install the current driver and install this driver listed below. Note: This is for Windows NT, 2000 and XP versions only and you can find instructions on how to Un-install and Re-install the Antex Legacy Audio Drivers below..

1. drvntv1062-x86.exe Use this driver first.

2. drvntv1090-x86.exe Only if you wish to try a newer driver.

Driver Installation and Removal instructions to help you install and configure your Antex ISA or PCI Cards under Windows 95 thru XP.

Installing Antex Legacy Audio Driver for Windows 2000 & XP SP1 & SP2
Note: The yellow exclamation point in the Device Manager under Other devices for Multimedia Audio Controller is normal for these O.S.'s listed below.
Example:

• Windows 2000 w/SP4
• Windows XP SP1 & SP2

Installing Antex Legacy Audio Driver for Windows 95, 98, 98SE and ME

Removing Antex Legacy Audio Driver for Windows 2000 & XP

• Windows 2000 & XP

Antex WDM Audio Drivers for Windows 2000 & XP ONLY!

• Installation
• Removal

How to Enhance Performance in Windows XP
Follow these instructions if you are having issues with audio quality or how your audio editing application is performing.

DMX8 Device Configuration Issue

Be sure you know what product and driver revision you are using or interested in before you use this FAQ or contact Antex support. How do I find out what version Antex driver and board I have for Windows NT 4.0? How do I find out what version Antex driver and board I have for Windows 95?

1. What's the difference between the StudioCard AV Pro and StudioCard 2000?
   
   
2. How do I install the Windows 95 applications and driver for the StudioCard?
   
   
3. How do I remove a driver from Windows 95?
   
   
4. Is StudioCard compatible with standard windows software?
   
   
5. How can I use 4 channels of the StudioCard?
   
   
6. If a card can record 16-bit signals, does it depend on the software one uses to write the data above 16-bit to the internal hard disk, or does 32 disk access come into play?
   
   
7. I know you gave all the jargon specs, but what kind of audio quality are we talking about here?
   
   
8. We have an application that currently writes to 2 stereo wave device drivers (2 sound cards). We write the buffers to one card and then the next card. The result is that the PCM samples are not played in sync. We want to be able to play 4 mono channels in sync. So does the StudioCard support this?
   
9. How exactly are the analog inputs/outputs connected to the StudioCard?
   
   
10. The sample rate in the Antex mixer does not always stay selected at the desired settings, what's up?
    
    
11. When recording, my Antex meters and counter appear to function, yet the created file is empty.
    
    
12. How do you connect a standard CD drive to the StudioCard to play CDs ?
    
    
13. Driver Installation Tips
    

1
What's the difference between the StudioCard AV Pro and the StudioCard 2000?

The StudioCard 2000 builds on the advanced features of the StudioCard AV Pro by offering 20 bit A/D and D/A resolution, and a 20 bit data path for both analog and digital pathways.  Increased dynamic range to 98db typical is an enhanced specification as is the reduction in length to a "half-size" card.  The StudioCard AV Pro has been discontinued and replaced by the StudioCard 2000 at $895 MSRP.  The SC-22, a 2-channel version without MIDI and digital I/O capability is also available at $595 MSRP.

Here is a list of the cables, software and documentation that come with the Antex StudioCard 2000:

Composite video breakout cable.

PVR Sync cable - connects the StudioCard's clock-in to the clock-out of the PVR Perception video capture board by DPS. This ensures that StudioCard runs off the PVR's 27 Mhz pixel clock.

Digital I/O breakout cable - needed to access the AES/EBU direct digital I/O capability as well as the SMPTE timecode reader and generator.

Windows 95/98 and NT drivers for Intel and DEC Alpha.

Updated AV Pro version of the StudioCard owners manual featuring digital video specific information.

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2
How do I find out what version Antex driver I have for Windows NT 4.0?

• Close all windows. So that all you see are your desktop icons.
• Click "Start", "Settings", and "Control Panel".
• Double click "Multimedia".
• Click the "Device" tab.
• Double click "Audio Devices".
• Select "Audio for Antex Digital Audio Driver", and click "Properties".
• Click "Settings". You will find the driver version there.

How do I find out what version Antex driver I have for Windows 95?

• Close all windows. So that all you see are your desktop icons.
• Click "Start", "Settings", and "Control Panel".
• Double click "Multimedia".
• Click the "Advanced" tab.
• Double click "Audio Devices".
• Select "Audio for Antex Digital Audio Driver", and click "Properties".
• Click "Settings". You will find the driver version there.

How do I install the Windows 95 applications and driver for the StudioCard?
To Install or Update the Application Programs (Mixer and Demo):

• Insert the setup disk.
• Activate Settings/Control Panel, "Add/Remove Programs".
• Click on "Install", and activate "Setup.Exe".To install the StudioCard in Windows95:
• Power down the system.
• Physically insert card into PCI slot and screw in retaining screw.
• Power up system.
• New hardware found applet appears
• Select radio button "Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer", click ok.
• Insert supplied driver diskette to A: drive, click ok.
• Machine will then load the device drivers, and the system settings
• Change applet asking you to restart your system
• Click yes.

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3
How do I remove a driver from Windows 95?

• Close all windows. So that all you see are your desktop icons.
• Click "Start", "Settings", and "Control Panel".
• Double click "System" icon in the "Control Panel".
• Click the "Device Manager" tab.
• Double click "Sound, Video and Games Controller".
• Select the adapter that shows up under "Sound, Video and Games
• Controllers" and remove the adapter by clicking the "Remove" button. Make sure you Shut your computer down.

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4
Is StudioCard compatible with standard windows software?

StudioCard's Windows NT and 95 drivers conform to Microsoft's MCI and WAVE standards for multimedia devices. The StudioCard is compatible with digital audio and MIDI software written to these standards, such as:

• Cakewalk
• Saw Plus
• Digital Orchestrator
• Sound Forge
• Logic Audio
• etc.

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5
How can I use 4 channels of the StudioCard?

StudioCard installs in Windows as several audio devices. As the default, you will have at least 4 stereo StudioCard devices available to your application. If your software works with multiple audio cards, simply use different StudioCard devices for each track. For example, you may also get more that 2 channel performance by running two instances of our DEMO32 program, with different devices chosen.

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6
If a card can record 16-bit signals, does it depend on the software one uses to write the data above 16-bit to the internal hard disk, or does 32 disk access come into play?

32 bit disk access will not increase signal fidelity, only the speed of data transfer. TOP -Will your cards allow for simultaneous play and record? One StudioCard will actually allow you to record 4 channels while playing 4 channels. We also support up to 4 StudioCards in a single machine.

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7
I know you gave all the jargon specs, but what kind of audio quality are we talking about here?

The specs we gave are derived from Audio Precision (the standard in audio) testing on each production unit. Antex has been building broadcast audio cards for several years and we are confident that we offer the cleanest sound of PC based add-in cards.

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8
We have an application that currently writes to 2 stereo wave device drivers (2 sound cards). We write the buffers to one card and then the next card. The result is that the PCM samples are not played in sync. We want to be able to play 4 mono channels in sync. So does the StudioCard support this?

The StudioCard does offer sample accurate sync between all 4 channels whether it is 4 individual mono or 2 stereo files.

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9
How exactly are the analog inputs/outputs connected to the StudioCard?

Eight (4in/4out) balanced connectors (XLR) are provided on a breakout cable from the 25 pin Sub D. Can we control the StudioCard from our custom software application? Yes, you can control all of the StudioCard's features using standard Windows API function calls. Digital audio is controlled through the low-level waveform API. Mixing, SMPTE time code, and clock source selection is controlled through the Windows Sound System Mixer API. MIDI functions are accessed through the standard MIDI API. We are currently compiling a document that itemizes the controls supported under each of these API's.

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10
The sample rate in the Antex mixer does not always stay selected at the desired settings, what's up?

Windows system sounds are recorded at various sample rates. Whenever they are played, the sample rate gets reset to the rate associated with the sound. This happens whenever a chime or beep is heard. If this is bothersome, one solution is to turn off all system sounds via the control panel. Please note that after a power up of the system, the sample rate will not always remain where it was set from the previous session. This will be corrected in a future driver release.

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11
When recording, my Antex meters and counter appear to function, yet the created file is empty.

The VOX control is used to start the recording of a file automatically when the audio source level goes above the threshold set by the slider. If this control is used when the card is put in record mode, the time counter will begin counting, but actual recording will not begin until the threshold level has been reached. If you want to be sure recording starts immediately, make sure this control is set to off.

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12
How do you connect a standard CD drive to the StudioCard to play CDs?

There are two ways to connect a standard CD drive to play your CDs through the StudioCard.

One:
Loop the headphone output on the front of the CD ROM to one of the XLR inputs and put the card in feed-through mode as explained in the manual. (An appropriate adapter cable must be used.) You can then use your CD player to play CDs through the StudioCard.

Two:
You can use a program to digitally transfer the audio CD data to a .WAV file. Many shareware utilities -- such as Windac, CDcopy, and CDworx -- exist for this purpose. They run faster than real time, depending on the CD-ROM. Although this method may be a bit more involved, the D/A converters in CD players are usually of lower resolution and this approach avoids a generation loss. Be advised that these programs don't work with all CD players.

Note:
It would be possible to make a CD player equivalent program that played the file digitally instead of writing to a file. We don't know of one at this time. If anyone knows about a program like this, let us know and we'll post your findings. Please use the email link provided to respond.

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13
Driver Installation Tips

a
Windows NT Driver Installation Tips:

1. You must not have a version of the driver loaded on you machine. If you do, remove it from the control panel, then begin the procedure again.
2. Save the file to your local disk drive with the same file name. For the x86 driver that would be "DrvNTV1140-x86.exe".
3. Execute that file on your local disk drive. Example:
   C> DrvNTV1140-x86
4. Execute Setup.exe to begin the GUI installation procedure.
   C> Setup

Follow the instructions on the screen from that point on.

b
StudioCard Windows 95 Driver Installation Tips:

To Install or Update the Application Programs (Mixer and Demo):

• Insert the setup disk.
• Activate Settings/Control Panel, "Add/Remove Programs".
• Click on "Install", and activate "Setup.Exe".

To Uninstall the Application Programs:

• Activate Settings/Control Panel, "Add/Remove Programs".
• Select "Studio Card Applications" in the Program selection box.
• Click "Add/Remove...".

Installing StudioCard & Drivers in Windows95:

• Power down the system.
• Physically insert card into PCI slot and screw in retaining screw.
• Power up system.
• New hardware found applet appears
• Select radio button "Driver from disk provided by hardware
• manufacturer", click ok.
• Insert supplied driver diskette to A: drive, click ok.
• Machine will then load the device drivers, restart as required

To Uninstall the Studio Card Drivers:

• Activate Settings/Control Panel, System/Device Manager.
• Under "Sound, video and game controllers", select "Studio Card".
• Click on "Remove".
• Power down the system (do not restart).
• Remove the card.

To Update the Studio Card Drivers:

• Insert the setup disk.
• Activate Settings/Control Panel, "System".
• Under "Sound, video and game controllers", select "Studio Card".
• Click on "Properties".
• Select the "Driver" tab.
• Click on "Change Driver", and "Have Disk".

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Email additional questions to:

Updated September 11,  2005.