DCD-8 User Manual
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DCD-8 User Manual
15. FireWire
15.1. EIGHT CHANNEL AUDIO DEVICE
Drivers for Mac and PC are available for download at www.brainstormtime.com (only
registered users have access to the download page). Once installed, the DCD-8 should be
recognized by your computer as an 8 channels device.
The DCD-8 can re-clock and route audio to and from a FireWire device, providing 2 way
audio conversion with AES/EBU, S/PDIF and ADAT, as described in chapter 14.
15.2. MAC
Make sure the latest driver is installed. Connect the DCD-8 to the Mac with a FW 400 cable.
Settings to run FireWire audio through a Mac are all done via the Mac’s System Preference:
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Go to System Preferences > Sound;
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Under INPUT and OUTPUT, you should see the DCD-8;
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Select the DCD-8 as the sound input (if necessary);
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Select the DCD-8 as the sound output (if necessary).
CLOCK SOURCE: The DCD-8 will automatically be selected as the clock source. You can
view this in the Brainstorm DCD-8 control panel (go to System Preferences > Brainstorm
DCD-8) or in the Audio Midi Setup application (select Brainstorm DCD-8 under ‘Properties
for’). Clock Source will say ‘Set Source at DCD-8’ indicating that whatever reference has
been selected on the DCD-8 will be the reference for the Mac FW audio.
This is valid for all Core Audio compliant applications such as Logic™, iTunes™, Sound
Blade™, Voice Cue™... Note that it is not applicable to Pro Tools™ since Pro Tools™
requires its own hardware.
15.3. PC
The PC behaves equivalent to the Mac except that there is only one place for sync source
confirmation and this is in the Brainstorm DCD-8 control panel.
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The user selects its output device in the audio application (WDM or ASIO) or
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selects the DCD-8 as default (system wide) audio device in
Settings > Control Panel > Sounds and
Audio Devices > Audio (WDM only).
When using WDM the user needs to set the desired output channels in the speaker map-
ping section of the Brainstorm DCD-8 control panel.
15.4. FIRMWARE UPDATES
In addition to transmitting and receiving digital audio the FireWire port is also used to
update the unit’s firmware (see next chapter).
16. Updating the Firmware
You should compare your software version number (menu 99) to the latest version num-
ber, as listed on our web site. If not current, you should update your DCD-8.
Updating the software version is done through the FireWire port. It can be done with a
Mac or a PC. The procedure is similar for both computers:
First, you need the following files on your computer:
• DCD-8 driver (PC or Mac)
• Firmware Loader (PC or Mac)
• DCD-8 current firmware
• Installation instructions (PC and Mac)
These files are available for download from our web site (www.brainstormtime.com).
NOTE: Only registered users are allowed to download these files so be sure to register your
unit as soon as possible.
If you need to purchase a CD containing these files, please contact us for more information.
16.1. INSTALL THE DCD-8 FireWire driver
1. Install the DCD-8 driver on your computer (this would have already been done if you
are using FireWire audio) - to install, simply follow the installers instructions.
16.2. UPDATE YOUR DCD-8 FIRMWARE
2. Connect a FireWire 400 cable between the DCD-8 and your computer
3. Run the Firmware Loader software on your computer (see pdf instructions for Mac & PC)
4. Load the new file into the DCD-8, replacing the old one
5. Power down the DCD-8 then power up again
6. Go to Menu 99 to verify the current software version number
WARNING: IF THE DCD-8 FLASH MEMORY IS ERASED OR CORRUPTED, THE UNIT
WILL HAVE TO BE RETURNED TO THE FACTORY FOR REPROGRAMMING. To avoid
this, please use every precaution when updating the firmware.
If something should occur during the update procedure, such as a computer crash, DO
NOT RESET your DCD-8. Start the download again, as soon as possible. Your DCD-8
will still be functional until it is reset or power is cycled.
