Important Hints to the Trace Pro driver version 1.08 for Windows™ (64 bit)

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

4. Driver Uninstall
5. What's new

6. Operation in Windows Vista and Windows 7
7. MME, WDM-Audio and DirectSound

1. System Requirements

Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista, Windows 2008 Server, Windows 7 each with the 64-bit version

2. New Driver Installation

2.1 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“.
If you get a message which asks you to trust software of "MARIAN GmbH", acknowledge that message and actívate the option "Always trust software of MARIAN GmbH" in order to get that message never again.
Windows noew copies the driver files. Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite newer files answer with "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
In some cases, the installer has to change some windows settings which need a restart. Please restart windows, if the installer requests it.

2.3 Windows Vista/2008

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 a message which asks you to trust software of "MARIAN GmbH", acknowledge that message and actívate the option "Always trust software of MARIAN GmbH" in order to get that message never again.
The drivers are now installed. Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite newer files answer with "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.
In some cases, the installer has to change some windows settings which need a restart. Please restart windows, if the installer requests it.

2.4 Windows 7

Windows 7 does not start the installation of new found hardware automatically. Thus, you have to start the installation by use of the Windows Device Manager. You can open the Device Manager with right click "Computer", then "Manage | Device Manager".
There, right-click at "Other Devices | Multimedia Controller" and choose "Update Driver Software".
In the following dialog click on "Browse my computer for driver software".
Now choose the folder of your CD or the folder where you have unpacked the driver update package and click on "Next".
If you get a message which asks you to trust software of "MARIAN GmbH", acknowledge that message and actívate the option "Always trust software of MARIAN GmbH" in order to get that message never again.
The drivers are now installed. Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite newer files answer with "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.
In some cases, the installer has to change some windows settings which need a restart. Please restart windows, if the installer requests it.

3. Driver Update

Unzip the driver update package ("tpro-win64-108.zip") with the included subdirectory structure to any folder.
Uninstall the driver software like described in "Driver Uninstall".
Restart Windows

3.1 Windows 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. If you get a message which asks you to trust software of "MARIAN GmbH", acknowledge that message and actívate the option "Always trust software of MARIAN GmbH" in order to get that message never again.
Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite newer files answer with "No" to keep the newer version of that file.
After the driver installation a restart could be necessary.
After these steps it might be necessary to update the firmware of the Trace Pro. It can only be determined after the installation of the new driver if a firmware update is needed. If that is the case, the update will then be performed automatically. In order to get the new firmware in effect, you have to SWITCH OFF and to SWITCH ON the computer.
Subsequently to a successful firmware update, Microsoft Windows™ XP/2003 will find a new hardware after reboot, since the hardware ID of the Trace Pro will have changed due to the firmware update. Since the driver files have already been installed, you only need to choose “install software automatically” in the appearing windows hardware wizard.

3.2 Windows Vista/2008

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 a message which asks you to trust software of "MARIAN GmbH", acknowledge that message and actívate the option "Always trust software of MARIAN GmbH" in order to get that message never again.
The drivers are now installed. Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite newer files answer with "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.
After these steps it might be necessary to update the firmware of the Trace Pro. It can only be determined after the installation of the new driver if a firmware update is needed. If that is the case, the update will then be performed automatically. In order to get the new firmware in effect, you have to SWITCH OFF and to SWITCH ON the computer.

3.3 Windows 7

You have to start the installation by use of the Windoows Device Manager. You can open the Device Manager with right click "Computer", then "Manage | Device Manager".
There, right-click at "Other Devices | Multimedia Controller" and choose "Update Driver Software".
In the following dialog click on "Browse my computer for driver software".
Now choose the folder where you have unpacked the driver update package and click on "Next".
If you get a message which asks you to trust software of "MARIAN GmbH", acknowledge that message and actívate the option "Always trust software of MARIAN GmbH" in order to get that message never again.
The drivers are now installed.Windows now copies the driver files. When you are asked to overwrite newer files answer with "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.
After these steps it might be necessary to update the firmware of the Trace Pro. It can only be determined after the installation of the new driver if a firmware update is needed. If that is the case, the update will then be performed automatically. In order to get the new firmware in effect, you have to SWITCH OFF and to SWITCH ON the computer.

4. Driver Uninstall

4.1 Windows XP/Vista/2008/Windows 7

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 Trace Pro" and choose "Uninstall".
Windows Vista/7: In the next dialog activate the option "Delete the driver software for this device" and start the uninstall with "Ok".
After the Uninstaller has finished, you only have to restart Windows if you want to install another driver.

5. What's new

Version 1.08:

WDM Audio: Fixed - possible problems when operated in 24 Bit / 8 Bit sample resolution mode

Version 1.07:

First public release based on the version 2.36 of the 32-bit Windows driver

6. Operation in Windows™ Vista / Windows 7

On Windows™ Vista / Windows 7 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 XP, Windows Vista/7 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/7 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/7 wil not stop the recording and a change to different sample rate for a playback device will fail.

7. MME, WDM-Audio and DirectSound

Audio applications, who do not use ASIO or direct WDM-Audio, now communicate with Microsoft MME or Microsoft WDM Audio 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 or direct WDM-Audio.
The number of the available recording and playback devices is limited. With Windows XP/Vista/7 to 32 devices each (64 channels)
This limitation applies to the number of all audio devices installed in the system.
You can use ASIO to walk around this limitation.
The minimum possible latency is limited to app. 20..30ms through the Microsoft Kernel Mixer architecture.
Use ASIO to walk around this limitation.
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.