Aardvark Direct Mix usb3 Owner's Manual - page 32
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the best way to listen to audio with the USB3?
The USB3 gives you 2 possibilities. The headphone jack on the front is easiest if
you want to listen to it with headphones. You can also simultaneously take the
Line Outputs on the back of the unit to a mixer, powered speakers or an amplifier
to listen to your music. Both the line outputs and the headphone output are
always identical in what is monitored, and both can be adjusted with the level
slider on the top of the USB3. If you have speakers or headphones with
connections that are 1/8" or RCA jacks, it’s easy to get adapters to fit into the
1/4" professional connections of the USB3.
How can I plug both a guitar and a microphone into the USB3?
You can record both a microphone input and a guitar input at the same time even
though the USB3 shares an input for the mic and guitar input. To do this, you will
need an external amplifier, a mic preamp for microphones or a DI box or other Hi-
Z interface for the guitar, and then take the line level signal out of that into one of
the two 1/4" line inputs on the back of the USB3.
If you want to use our proprietary EFR™ Guitar Input circuitry, then you’ll need an
external mic preamp and take the line level output of the mic preamp into one of
the USB3 line inputs.
I have a PC, how many IRQs does the USB3 require?
The USB3 needs one (1) dedicated IRQ to work properly. Sometimes, the USB3
can share an IRQ, but this typically results in audio dropouts and other unwanted
glitches in your audio. For optimum performance make sure the USB3 has it’s
own dedicated IRQ.
Can I use the USB3 with laptops?
Yes. It will work with either Mac or PC laptops. It’s important to note that with
some "loaded" PC laptops, there may not be any IRQ’s left, which the USB3
needs. Just make sure there is an IRQ available for the USB3 and it will work
perfectly.
It’s also important to note that some laptops force the USB port into an IRQ that
cannot be changed, which makes it incompatible with the USB3 and other USB
audio devices. These IRQ conflicts can be avoided by using a laptop that provides
Floating IRQs. Gateway (http://www.gateway.com) and Winbook
(http://www.winbook.com) are among the manufacturers that provide some
laptops with floating IRQs. However, most laptop manufactures now have
solutions, so just make sure that the laptop you plan on using with the USB3 has
Floating IRQs. If you are not sure, call the laptop manufacturer and they should
be able to tell you if the laptop you have has Floating IRQs.