10 Quick Tips To Try...

1. Be sure to read your Echo product documentation.

2. Check all your plugs and cables (power, audio, MIDI, FireWire, etc).

3. Restart your computer and Echo break out box.

4. Make sure you have the latest driver for your Echo hardware.

5. Update your operating system and audio software to the latest versions.

6. Get the latest drivers for all of your hardware.

7. Reseat the Echo PCI card or move it to a different PCI slot.

8. Raise the number and size of audio buffers in your audio software.

9. Check your audio clock settings.

10. Don't overclock your CPU, memory, motherboard or PCI bus.

11. Check the common problems and technotes pages for your hardware.

1. Be sure to read your Echo product documentation

[top]

Your Echo documentation includes: Quick Start Guide, Readme, and Manual. Here you will find answers to many of your questions. It is very important that you read the documentation regarding Echo’s Console application. Manuals can be found online here.

2.Check all your plugs and cables. (power, audio, MIDI, FireWire, etc.)

[top]

This is a VERY common cause for not hearing sound. Start by checking your power cables and making sure that each piece of gear that you are using has its power light on.*

*You need to use the included power supply with you AudioFire 2 or AudioFire 4 if you are using 4-pin FireWire or if your laptop has a PCMCIA or ExpressCard FireWire adapter.

It is always a good idea to write out on paper a cable chart for your studio setup. If you are using a mixer, be sure to thoroughly read its documentation. Even professionals have problems with routing audio, cables going bad, or just not being set up properly. Please triple-check all cables, mixer and outboard gear routing before contacting us.

3. Restart your computer and Echo break out box.

[top]

Restarting your computer frequently resolves many problems. Audio software and hardware are very complex and restarting returns everything to a known default state if something has gone wrong.

4. Make sure you have the latest driver for your Echo hardware.

[top]

Installing the latest driver can solve a number of problems. We are constantly working to improve our drivers. As audio software and operating systems are updated, we frequently make driver changes to ensure compatibility. In addition, please read the Readme file that comes with the driver. The Readme file documents changes and fixes to the current driver, as well as known issues that we are still working on.

5. Update your operating system and audio software to the latest versions.

[top]

On Windows, run Windows Update; open the tools menu in Internet Explorer, and select “Windows Update.” On Mac, go to the Apple Menu and select "Software Update..."

Frequently check your audio software manufacturer’s web page for software updates. Your audio software is updated frequently; make sure you are running the latest versions of all your audio software.

6. Get the latest drivers for all of your hardware.

[top]

Your computer has many different pieces of hardware and software that are made by different companies. Because of this, they don't always work well together. Fortunately, most companies are constantly updating their drivers to make their products more compatible with other hardware. Some problems with our cards are caused by another piece of hardware or software in your system.

Installing the latest drivers for all of your hardware can often solve this problem. In addition to PCI cards and other external hardware, some motherboards have built-in graphics, modem, SCSI or audio features. These built-in features act the same way a separate PCI card would, and are often overlooked by users when doing driver updates. Every few months you should check for software updates for all: graphics cards, modems, SCSI cards, Ethernet adapters, sound cards, built-in motherboard features, motherboards, and all external hardware.

If you have a motherboard with a Via chipset, be sure to install the latest drivers.

7. Reseat the Echo PCI card or move it to a different PCI slot.

[top]

Reseating the Echo PCI card and/or moving it to a different PCI slot can fix problems such as:

• Windows not recognizing your Echo hardware
• lockups
• erratic behavior.

Follow the hardware installation instructions in your Echo manual to properly insert the PCI card.

8. Raise the number and size of audio buffers in your audio software.

[top]

If the audio buffers in your audio application are set too low, you may experience clicking, popping, and drop-outs. Correct buffer settings will differ from machine to machine depending on your particular setup and application. Your motherboard, hard disk, processor, and RAM are all factors in audio recording/playback performance. You will set the number and size of the audio buffers in your audio application. Please refer to the given audio application’s documentation for buffer setting instructions.

9. Check your audio clock settings.

[top]

Particularly if you are using multiple Echo products or if you are using our products in conjunction with other digital audio equipment, all equipment must be clocked correctly. Before attempting to set up clock slaving, make sure that your Echo product works on internal clock mode. Unexpected behavior can result if you attempt to slave equipment to an incorrect clock.

10. Don't overclock your CPU, memory, motherboard or PCI bus.

[top]

Overclocking is the process of forcing your hardware to run at a faster speed than is recommended by the hardware manufacturer. There is always a risk of hardware failure due to overclocking. Despite the risk, some people like the extra performance they can receive by overclocking. Overclocking your CPU, motherboard or PCI bus will most likely cause your Echo hardware to not work correctly. If you reset your hardware to spec it may well solve your problem. If you don't know anything about overclocking, don't worry about this, your hardware is probably not overclocked.

11. Check the "Common Solutions" and "Technotes" pages for your hardware.

[top]

Under the Support section of our website, you'll find a common solutions page for your operating system and a technotes page. You will find answers to many of your questions under these sections.