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Howto: USB Soundcard DAC (EZAudDAC) with Windows 7

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A CMedia USB multichannel soundcard is an affordable way to provide a DAC interface to your laser show system. All the information you need to wire up such a soundcard can be found in ElectroFreak's sticky. Such soundcards can be used with laser show software that employs the EZAudDAC interface, which sends position and laser color/intensity data as audio signals.

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The aforementioned tutorial notes that such soundcards should only be used with Windows XP 32-bit, or Linux. However, as you'll see below, you can actually use a USB DAC with Windows 7, and it's actually somewhat easier because you don't need to install new drivers.

1) First plug your USB soundcard into your computer. CMedia soundcards are ubiquitous, and Microsoft includes generic soundcard drivers for such cards. Allow Windows to install the default soundcard drivers for your card. Windows told me a "USB Composite Device" was installed successfully when it finished.

2) Now open up the Sound settings from your Control Panel.

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3) As is, Windows will treat your sound card as a generic stereo soundcard, and perform crossfeeding between channels, resulting in signals being mixed. This end result for your laser is that your position signals will affect each other causing double-imaging and poor positioning. We need to set our speakers as full channel speakers, with full dynamic range.

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3.a) First ensure that your speakers are set to their fullest surround sound capability, in my case, 7.1 surround sound. This ensures that all signals are separated to the outputs:

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3.b) Enable all optional speakers in the next dialog. Following that is an important dialog, "Select full-range speakers." The full-range setting will ensure that no crossfeeding occurs between channels.

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Select all speakers as full-range and you should be good to go.

Now that you have your soundcard set up, a program like LFI that allows EZAudDAC will work with your soundcard on Windows 7.

Troubleshooting

Sometimes the drivers that come with your computer will not allow you to use all channels of your sound card, even after you've changed the speaker configuration.

A known working Cmedia driver for Windows 7 can be downloaded here:

CMedia CM106 Windows 7 drivers (x86 and x64)

If you don't trust the above drivers, the original source of the above driver is from Microsoft's driver database.

Extract the driver archive to a temporary folder. With the USB sound-card plugged in, update your driver by opening your Device Manager (Start -> Control Panel -> Device Manager), and right-clicking your USB sound-card device to update the drivers.

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In the dialog that opens, choose "Browse my computer for driver software" and hit Next. Then in the following dialog, fill in or browse for the path of the folder where you extracted the driver archive, and hit Next. The drivers should be updated with the new driver set.
 

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That's a good point, I'll have to test the other channels as well. It doesn't even need to be light intensity, as I can just map the X and Y to the other channels to test.
 
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I had mine working fine with Win7, the only problem I had is that I had to reset all the settings everytime I unplugged the USB cable. Otherwise it worked fine until I switched DAC's.
 
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i dont have a surround option on my laptop my only option is front L R

also when i go to tune it in VLC what device do i set it to 5.1, stereo(there is a few other options ill have to look later) or does it matter

also when the file starts it jumps to ~7v for a split second tthen goes to 5v where i set it at. has anyone ever seen this before?
thanks
 
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i dont have a surround option on my laptop my only option is front L R

also when i go to tune it in VLC what device do i set it to 5.1, stereo(there is a few other options ill have to look later) or does it matter

also when the file starts it jumps to ~7v for a split second tthen goes to 5v where i set it at. has anyone ever seen this before?
thanks

Did you set the default sound card to the USB one and not the built in one when you were setting the configuration options?

For the initial tuning just leave the default audio device as the USB sound card.

I think it's normal for the voltage toe fluctuate a bit when the audio file loops. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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thanks!, its funny i get more help here than on PL

and yes i set it as the default audio device. im talking about in VLC player
 
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thanks!, its funny i get more help here than on PL

and yes i set it as the default audio device. im talking about in VLC player

Depends who is watching on PL and if they care to deal with audio DACs.

For tuning it doesn't make a huge difference.. You might get slight discrepancy if it's mixing but since it's trying to output the exact same signal out every channel there's not a lot for windows to try and mix....

Ideally though if there is a setting for speakers set it as high as it will go for best results.
 
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I used a wave audio program like Goldwave or Audacity so that the program doesn't try to make the sound "better."

Just to be sure: you connected to the sound-card's outputs before the capacitors right? (i.e. signal (connect here) --> capacitor --> output connectors).

I'm not sure why it wouldn't show up as 7.1 or whatever sound card on your laptop.
 
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I used a wave audio program like Goldwave or Audacity so that the program doesn't try to make the sound "better."

Just to be sure: you connected to the sound-card's outputs before the capacitors right? (i.e. signal (connect here) --> capacitor --> output connectors).

I'm not sure why it wouldn't show up as 7.1 or whatever sound card on your laptop.

um im confused by your question i bought my DAC used its a adiolase
 
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i tried wmp never jumped seems to be working BUT i get no output on the laser lines the x and y is fine nothing on the others?
 
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Well max2.wav is a 2-channel output sound file (I just checked). You'll need a 6-7 channel wav file to test the other channels.

I'll see if I can make an 8-channel version.
 
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Well max2.wav is a 2-channel output sound file (I just checked). You'll need a 6-7 channel wav file to test the other channels.

I'll see if I can make an 8-channel version.

oh awesome i could not figure it out for the life of me
 
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edit jk i get no output in lfi no matter what setting soundcard number etc
 
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