- Call us: 800-262-4675
-
- Sign up for e-mail updates
Hi,
I have been using DAC1 HDR for months now and I am very happy with it except when I play a short sounds like clicks.
If I play a short sound the very first thing I hear is (probably the digital signal on/off thing) fading in then the rest plays.
I am using Mac Pro, Logic and Benchmark DAC1 HDR directly from USB. From the analog outputs I have Focal Solo 6s. I cannot get the click (for metronome) at the beginning of the project.
Is there a way to keep the digital port active from the USB constantly? Can this problem be solved? If so, please help :)
Regards,
Togay Ozyigit
No Replies???
It has been over a week. Isn't my English clear enough? If so, please ask me what you didn't understand? Or maybe you don't know the answer and investigating? Tell me what to think.
I have the feeling the
I have the feeling the people at Benchmark lost their interest in this small forum completely.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you post you question here
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/223006/benchmark-dac1-now-available-with-usb/2970
you get a better response (e.g. from Elias Gwinn from Benchmark….)
Togay, I am very sorry for
Togay,
I am very sorry for not replying sooner. Sometimes this forum software does not notify us of new posts.
Are you in North America? If so, please call us at 1-800-262-4675 and we will help you resolve this.
Best,
Elias
44 weeks?
It took you 44 weeks to read my message? Amazing...
Unfortunately I am not in the US. I live in Turkey. I just wanted to learn if it is possible to fix what I have explained before. Which was this: if I play a short sound like a kick or hat sound, it doesn't start at the begining of the sound (when I use the USB connetion of the HDR). Since I didn't get an answer from you guys sooner, I have started to use the fiber optic port of the HDR to connect it to my MAC. It works fine now, but one interesting thing came up recently. Unless I keep the fiber optic port busy (by playing some music), the HDR led starts flickering very rapidly. Until I play something, it just continues to flicker. Does it mean anything to you?
Hi, Again, I am very sorry
Hi,
Again, I am very sorry for the long delay before I responded. As I mentioned, I was not aware that you had posted this until I just manualy searched through older threads. Again, I am very sorry for the delay.
It is normal that the LED's flicker when the optical port is inactive. Do the LED's eventually turn off completely?
Best,
Elias
No, nothing like that. Just
No, nothing like that. Just like I said before, it works perfectly okay but very rapidly flashing LED scares me usually and tend to turn off by punching in the knob :) As if flashing will damage the converter :P
No Click in Logic Pro
Dear Elias,
I am having the same problem as Togay.
When I am running Logic Pro, the click will sound only when other sounds are playing. I don't have this problem on other interface, even the built-in output.
I'm connecting with the USB.
Why is it happening and could you please give me a fix?
Thanks & regards,
Victor
We're looking into this, but
We're looking into this, but in the mean time, you can resolve this by using the digital optical output from your Mac into the optical input of the DAC1 rather then the USB. This will resolve the problem.
We'll post more info about the USB as it becomes available.
Best,
Elias
USB has limitations - auto mute circuit is necessary
The muting is necessary to prevent D/A conversion of non-audio data on the USB interface. This non-audio data occurs while the USB interface is initializing a playback sequence. With USB Audio there is no way to tell the difference between silence and the end of an audio transmission. Unfortunately it is very important to detect the end of the audio transmission before the next transmission occurs. This can only be done by assuming that the audio transmission is completed when we see no data for an extended period of time. When this idle time interval is completed, we mute the USB input so that the next USB initialization sequence will not blast out of the speakers. If the time interval is too long, then we risk passing the initialization data burst. If the time interval is too short, then we risk muting the audio. The interval between the clicks in your track are exceeding this time interval.
We extended the mute time interval shortly after introducing the DAC1 USB and have had no reports of any issues after this revision. However, a click track is not a typical audio signal. In theory, it is always possible to create a click track that will exceed the interval of the audio detection circuitry.
There is a chance that you may have one of the earlier units. If so, a firmware upgrade is available for your unit. The cost is $50 plus return shipping. We will test and calibrate your unit at the same time. We can look up your serial number to see which version you have. Please call us at 1800 BNCHMRK (1800 262-4675) to check your serial number and arrange for service.
The best solution is to mix a small amount of noise with the click track. The muting circuit will not activate if any noise is present. Add dither noise, white noise, or pink noise, and the USB interface will never mute.
Most users will never encounter this issue, even with older DAC1 USB units. The exception is that digitally-generated click tracks can trigger the muting circuit if there is total silence between clicks.
Servicing ??? and
Servicing ??? and Charging???
Are you after giving real customer support or making more money out of us? This is an USB device. Shouldn't there be a firmware upgrade option available via USB for the customer to perform himself/herself ???
Field Upgrade of USB
There is no charge for firmware upgrades on units that are under warranty. All Benchmark products sold in the USA are covered by a 5-year warranty. A review of our records shows that all DAC1 USB units sold in the USA are still covered. Again, the $50 charge would only apply to units that are out of warranty.
All DAC1 USB units manufactured after 11/21/2007 have current firmware.
The DAC1 USB has two separate sets of firmware; system firmware, and USB subsystem firmware. The system firmware is entirely separate from the USB subsystem firmware. The USB subsystem can be field upgraded, but the system firmware cannot be field upgraded. On 11/21/2007 we changed the system firmware (not the USB firmware) to change the time constants in the USB muting circuit.
The USB subsystem firmware has never been changed. And, it is highly unlikely that the USB subsystem will ever need changing. Benchmark's native USB system uses standard USB Audio system calls and does not need to be modified as new operating systems are introduced. New Windows, Mac, Linux, and tablet operating systems have been introduced, but the Benchmark native USB system works with these new technologies. This is one of the primary advantages of a driverless USB Audio interface. If it ever becomes necessary to upgrade the USB subsystem, this can be done in the field.
If your unit was manufactured prior to 11/21/2007, and you are using digitally-generated click tracks, you may want to have your unit upgraded. Call us to arrange for an RMA. If you are not using click tracks, there is no need to upgrade.