V2/WDM Driver Build 17 RC1 Available for Testing

Lynx Studio Technology is proud to announce the availability of Version 2/WDM Driver Build 17 Release Candidate 1.  This driver includes several new features that require testing by a larger user group than just our internal testing labs.  As such we are making it available to our full user base to allow testing and comments before the final version is posted as a normal download from our web site.

The driver may be downloaded from V2Setup17RC1.exe.

[Oct 22, 2009 DAH EDIT: Removed link to AES16e firmware updater.  The 64-bit driver has an issue with the AES16e firmware updater.  A new version of both will be posted in another thread.]

Key new features:

1) One-Step Installer.  The new install program makes it much simpler to install or uninstall the driver.  Just cancel the New Hardware Wizard (if it comes up after installing your hardware) and run V2Setup17RC1.exe.  It will run the correct installer (32-bit or 64-bit) for your OS and fully install both the driver and applications.  Once you restart your computer no further action should be required.

2) Support for AES16e Firmware Build 9.  Build 9 includes both 32-channel mode operation as well as everything to everything routing.  It also includes support for the AES16e-50.  32-channel mode operation allows the LStream port to operate as independent channels, instead of mirroring the outputs of the AES/EBU outputs.  If you connect either an LS-ADAT or LS-AES to your AES16e, those input and output channels will be independent of the AES/EBU channels. 

3) Everything to everything routing (AES16e Build 9 Firmware only) uses a new Output Matrix page in the Lynx Mixer.  This is a temporary solution to allow access to all the new volume controls.  We are working on a completely new Mixer application but it wasn't ready in time to be included in Build 17.

4) Multi-channel Volume control support with Topology driver.  Previously only the first two master output volume controls could be changed when using the topology driver (which is used by DVD playback applications).  Now the speaker setup (Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Device Proprties > Audio > Advanced) controls the number of channels available using the topology driver.  This can been seen by using SndVol32.exe.

5) Switchable extra buffering in ASIO driver.  Build 16 of the ASIO driver added extra buffering to prevent dropouts and device synchronization issues.  Some users complained that the extra buffering impacted the latency performance of the driver too much.  This is now user selectable from the ASIO Control Panel (called Double Buffer Output).  If the switch is OFF the driver acts like Build 15b where dropouts are possible.  If the switch is ON the driver acts like Build 16 where dropouts are not possible because of the extra output buffering.

6) Fixed multi-card ASIO issue introduced in Build 16. 

We appreciate your assistance in getting this next version of the driver finalized.  Please post your success or failure reports to this forum.  We are very interested with reading reports about testing in conjunction with AES16e Firmware Build 9 as this is where the majority of changes has occurred.


Edited by David A Hoatson - October/22/2009 at 10:10am

Thanks for the report.  It was suppose to prompt you that another driver was installed and ask you if you wanted to uninstall it.  Did it do that?  Please email the V2Setup.log file to support@lynxstudio.com so I can see what happened.

I have installed the new driver on XP SP3. It detected the old one, asked to cancel it and restart again. Upon startup, before entering Windows, it asked ther same thing and went into a loop. I had to accept to proceed anyway and then installation was fine.

Like the above post, I also have channel swapping but I am not sure it is related to Lynx. So I will post my problem at http://www.lynxstudio.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2726.

David - does this mean that if I have an LS-ADAT card in my system, an AES16e and an Aurora 16, I can connect a 16 channel preamp with lightpipe and have 32 channels of I/O availble (Aurora16 + ADAT instead of 16)?

Does the mixer then reflect all 32 channels?

Thanks.

Rob

2) Support for AES16e Firmware Build 9.  Build 9 includes both 32-channel mode operation as well as everything to everything routing.  It also includes support for the AES16e-50.  32-channel mode operation allows the LStream port to operate as independent channels, instead of mirroring the outputs of the AES/EBU outputs.  If you connect either an LS-ADAT or LS-AES to your AES16e, those input and output channels will be independent of the AES/EBU channels. 

Edited by tazman - October/19/2009 at 4:38am

does this mean that if I have an LS-ADAT card in my system, an AES16e and an Aurora 16, I can connect a 16 channel preamp with lightpipe and have 32 channels of I/O availble (Aurora16 + ADAT instead of 16)?

Yes.

Does the mixer then reflect all 32 channels?

Yes.

Edited by David A Hoatson - October/19/2009 at 8:07am

Will do that.

I installed the beta drivers for Windows 7 RC1 x64 and they seem to be working great. It's music to my ears. :)    No BSOD so far but it's only been two days.  I'll keep you posted if it happens. 

Charlie,

Just program the firmware again and it will program PROM2.  The jumper determines the boot PROM, not the PROM that will be programmed.  The programmer always programs PROM2 and the factory default firmware is always in PROM1.  When you are programming PROM2 it will warn you to change the jumper after the programming is complete.

The updater doesn't normally allow for going backwards.  If you must go back you have to Email support@lynxstudio.com for instructions.

Originally posted by David A Hoatson Charlie, Just program the firmware again and it will program PROM2.  The jumper determines the boot PROM, not the PROM that will be programmed.  The programmer always programs PROM2 and the factory default firmware is always in PROM1.  When you are programming PROM2 it will warn you to change the jumper after the programming is complete. The updater doesn't normally allow for going backwards.  If you must go back you have to Email support@lynxstudio.com for instructions.

Ok .. I am confused.

Edited by tsphua - October/20/2009 at 8:51am