Changes

== Installation ==

All interfaces are a bit different, and you should refer to the manufacturer's documentation for installation; however, there are a couple of quirky things I would like to emphasize.

* If installing a card into the motherboard and things don't work correctly at first, try powering down and reseating the card, or try using a different slot.

* Not all USB ports are alike. Sometimes the motherboard divides them between multiple controllers, with some functioning better than others. If you experience poor performance, try switching ports and testing.

== Hardware/Physical Connections ==

The analog physical inputs for interfaces resemble the components of a [[Mixing Boards/Consoles|mixing board]]. Most inputs have a [[Mixing Boards/Consoles#Trim/Gain|gain/trim]] control and pre-amp, and microphone inputs typically feature [[Mixing Boards/Consoles#Phantom Power|phantom power]] switches. Instrument-level inputs often have a [[Mixing Boards/Consoles#Pad|pad]] button in addition to the gain/trim control to attenuate the volume of the inbound signal.

For outputs, interfaces typically feature pairs of balanced 1/4" analog outputs, one of which is likely to be used for studio monitors. Others can be used to feed external gear, such as external effects or a guitar rig for reamping. There's also SPDIF out which is useful when you need to send your signal to other digital gear - this bypasses the set of D>A and A>D conversion that would happen if transmitting via analog cables.

== Drivers ==

Most interfaces come with their own setup CD that includes the hardware drivers used for the OS or DAW software to communicate with the device. Before installing off the CD, you may want to look at the manufacturer's webpage to download the latest software/drivers - there's a good chance a later version was released.

ASIO is not an open standard, requiring a license for a DAW or hardware manufacturer to implement it. Thus, some do not natively support it. A popular alternative when an ASIO driver is not provided for your interface is [http://www.asio4all.com/ ASIO4ALL], which is a free "driver" that uses advanced WDM techniques to achieve ASIO-like performance from devices that use a WDM driver. I find it's best to try to avoid the issue altogether by using ASIO compliant interfaces and DAW software. Getting ASIO4ALL to work correctly can be tricky or impossible.

== Control Panel ==

Your interface should come with software to control it, often labeled "mixer" or "control panel". This often lets you do various things with inputs and outputs similar to real-world mixing board; however, not all interfaces feature these options - in those cases, the DAW software is routing directly to the physical outputs on the unit as well as handling all monitoring and leveling. It is also where you set the sample rate, clock source, input buffer, and SPDIF source.

There may additionally be typical mixer functions such as solo and mute buttons, which work the same way as they would on a mixing console, covered on the [[Mixing Boards/Consoles]] page.

The control panel often includes an output tab or page similar to the input/mixer page, but pertaining only to the control of the physical outputs. There are [[Mixing Boards/Consoles|basic mixer controls]] here - solo, mute, level, and balance/pan. There may also be a control to link the levels of multiple outputs, so they are all adjusted simultaneously. Often a headphones output may not be a routing option for the inputs, but the headphones output can monitor any of the other outputs, which is selectable on the outputs page. Again, I usually find these controls to be unnecessary and use the DAW's controls instead, except for things the DAW doesn't cover, such as which outputs the headphones monitor.

The interface usually has the option to select the SPDIF clock source as internal or external (master or slave). Many devices require being the clock source; and in this case, you must select external or slave as well as setting the correct sample rate to sync with the device.

For interfaces that have both coaxial and TOSLINK SPDIF input, you should be able to select which ones you are using for input and output.

== Input Buffer/Latency ==

Besides driver and OS settings, certain interfaces may be able to transport its data more quickly to the computer depending on the bus with which it uses to communicate. USB 2.0 or 2.1 can sometimes run into issues, although theoretically fast enough. Firewire is typically faster; however, this depends on the Firewire controller in the computer - some interface manufacturers recommend certain controller chips over others for best reliability and speed. Interfaces that use a PCI or PCI-e card may benefit from being seated in higher slots on the motherboard to obtain a higher priority for its interrupt requests. USB 3.0 is relatively new but should be more than fast enough to achieve imperceptibly low latency.

== Connecting to DAW Software ==

Once you have your drivers correctly installed and your OS has recognized your interface, the next step is to open your DAW and select your interface. Every DAW software does this a bit differently, but most of the time, you should find the settings on the Settings or Preferences dialog under an Interface, Connections, or Hardware tab/page. You should be able to select the interface. Sometimes it does not appear as expected, either listed under a generic name like "ASIO Device" or listed multiple times with different drivers. You typically want to select the option that uses "ASIO", which is the lowest latency driver, and typically the only one that talks to your interface. DirectSound, WDM, or MME is ''not'' what you want - these are generic Windows drivers that do not allow DAW software direct access to the interface and buffer the audio streams through levels of the OS as well as process them before sending them on.