How do I update the firmware?

The ADA-8XR can be upgraded from a PC using the serial port. A standard “null modem” serial cable is required.

First, obtain the latest release of the appropriate firmware from the downloads page, noting that the ADA-8 and ADA-8XR do NOT use the same firmware. This is in the form of a zip file which should be downloaded and the contents extracted.

The zip file contains two main files “mapload.exe” and “ADA8VXXX.dld” which must be extracted to the same folder. mapload.exe is a DOS program for loading firmware and ADA8VXXX.dld is the firmware file that it loads. Here the XXX represents the version number of the firmware. DO NOT use any other copy of “mapload.exe” other than the one provided with the download, other versions may be incompatible.

Ensure the ADA-8 is un-powered from the mains (i.e. NOT just in standby mode–the standby light should be OFF). This can be achieved by switching off the power using the switch on the rear panel above the mains inlet.

Connect an RS-232 serial null modem cable (9-way female to 9-way female) between the COM1 serial port of the PC and the COM port of the ADA-8. This is a standard serial cable designed for connection between two PCs, the pin-out for which can be found here.

Get a DOS command line by either going to the start menu, selecting “run…” and typing “cmd” in the box, or by going to Start Menu -> All Programs -> Accessories and selecting “Command Prompt”. This opens a DOS window with a prompt something like:

c:\documents and settings>

Change the path to point to the directory containing the aforementioned files by typing:

CD c:\full path to files

replacing the words “full path to files” with the path to the folder where you extracted the files previously. The prompt should now change to the full path you just entered:

c:\full path to files>

You are now ready to run the installer program “mapload”. Do this by typing:

mapload ada8vXXX.dld -1

changing the XXX to the version number in the actual file name you have downloaded. The -1 at the end of this command indicates the COM port to which the ADA-8 is connected. You can upload firmware from an alternative COM port by specifying it here.

The program will run, and you will see that it is attempting to connect to the ADA-8.

Read this next sentence completely before proceeding: power up the ADA-8 from the mains inlet while holding down the standby button on the front panel and keep the button depressed until the standby light illuminates. Release the standby button.

The program should now connect and the PC should now display:

MAP1 Download…
Erasing…

…followed by a line of hex characters for every 2Kbytes of firmware transferred.

If this does not happen for any reason, power down the ADA-8, close the DOS window where the command was entered and start again.

A successful download takes less than a minute. When the download has completed, the ADA-8 will come out of standby with the new firmware loaded. At this point the serial cable may be disconnected and the ADA-8 may be used normally.

It is advisable to reload the factory default stores when upgrading the firmware, especially if it is required for use with the new DSD I/O module. This can be achieved by the following procedure:

1) On the ADA-8, Go to the ‘Reload Factory Defaults/Stores?’ menu. This is at the end of the ‘Preferences’ section.

2) Press ‘Enter/Accept’, followed by the menu DOWN key.

3) The display should now read ‘Reload Factory Stores? [Enter]’, press ‘Enter/Accept’.

4) Confirm by pressing the RIGHT select key, followed by ‘Enter/Accept’.

How many configuration stores can I have?

There are four banks of stores with six stores in each bank giving a total of twenty four. The factory default stores pre-loaded into your ADA-8XR will depend on the plug-in boards fitted.

Find a more detailed description of the ADA-8XR configuration stores in the Operation Manual, section 4.5 “Configuration / Stores”. The manual is available from the downloads page.

Why are some of the buttons blue?

These are menu short-cut buttons that enable the user to cycle through and change only the options available inside the box connected to each blue button.

Find a more detailed description of the ADA-8XR short-cut buttons in the Operation Manual, section 2.2 “configuring the ADA-8XR”. The manual is available from the ADA-8XR downloads page.

Which digital formats are currently supported for the ADA-8XR?

Different formats can be accommodated by the ADA-8XR using plug-in modules.

Digital formats supported by the ADA-8XR

The table below lists the ADA-8XR Digital I/O Modules available. For more information on these cards, please see the ADA-8XR Modules page.

COMPATIBLE WITH:PRISM SOUND PART NUMBER:
AES3 (AES/EBU)8C-AES (includes breakout cable)
Digidesign Pro-Tools™ Mix8C-PT
Digidesign Pro-Tools™ HD8C-PTHD
Digidesign Pro-Tools™ HDX8C-AES (includes breakout cable)
Sony™ DSD8C-DSD (includes breakout cable)
Sony™ SuperMAC™ DSD8C-MDSD (includes breakout cable)
IEEE 1394 FireWire®8C-FW

What is the difference between Path 1 and Path 2?

There is no difference between Path 1 and Path 2. The ADA-8XR allows the user complete flexibility to configure each path to suit a particular setup, whether that be A to D, D to A or D to D format conversion.

Find a more detailed description of the ADA-8XR path structure in the Operation Manual, chapter 4 “Philosophy of Operation”. The manual is available from the Downloads page.

I’m using Google Chrome as my default browser, and when I click the Help button on the Lyra Control Panel app, I notice that some functions of the Contents pane don’t work.

Recent versions of Chrome include a security measure which ensures that all frames of a web page originate from the same domain. Unfortunately, locally hosted pages incorrectly trigger this safeguard since they have no domain.

The effect of this is that the navigation pane on the left-hand side of the help does not operate correctly: you can click on the main chapter headings, and navigate to these, but you can’t expand them to view or access the subsections. You have to scroll down through the subsections using the arrow buttons in the main pane. This problem only affects Chrome, and only when displaying pages from the local computer.

Workarounds include:

  • Use a different default browser
  • Access the help pages via this website, or a local webserver
  • Use the PDF manual instead
  • Start Chrome with the -allow-file-access-from-files switch

How do I use Lyra with Windows Media Player?

In order to use Lyra with Windows Media Player and other Windows sound apps, you must install drivers version 1.03 or higher.

Please also ensure that you have firmware 1.03 or later installed.

Can I use Lyra stand-alone?

It is possible to operate Lyra without a connection to a host computer, for example, in a hi-fi set-up. This is done by setting up the unit as required using the Lyra Control Panel app from a host computer, then re-starting it without the computer.

The steps to achieve this are as follows:

  • Connect the Lyra to the host computer using the USB connection
  • Configure the Lyra using the control panel application so that it works how you want it to
  • Place Lyra in standby by pressing the standby button (far right on the front panel)
  • Disconnect Lyra from the host computer USB connection and the power source
  • When the unit is re-powered and detects that no USB connection is active, it reloads the settings which were last used.

All of the outputs on the Lyra have mixers which determine how the output is derived from the various input signals. This allows you to connect the digital input pair to one or more analogue output pairs, and to connect the analogue input pairs to the digital output pair. Thus stand-alone mode can be used to configure a stand-alone D/A converter and A/D converter, with static mixing if required.

When in stand-alone mode, if Lyra is set to use an external synchronization source, (eg, a digital input, Wordclock or ADAT), then the sample rate will follow the sample rate of the external source. If the designated synchronization source is not connected, Lyra will use its internal clock at the selected sample rate.

How do I measure the round-trip latency?

It is very easy to measure the round-trip latency of your audio interface using a DAW and a digital cable.

Use these steps:

  1. Open your DAW and select your audio interface driver.
  2. Create a track with outputs set to the interface DO (i.e. outputs 9 & 10).
  3. Select a clip with a sharp attack, like a snare hit.
  4. Create another track with inputs set to the interface DI (i.e inputs 9 & 10).
  5. Arm recording on the second track.
  6. Connect the digital ports back-to-back using a suitable digital cable.
  7. Use your transport bar to play & record simultaneously. You will see the clip recorded on the second track, delayed by the round-trip latency.
  8. Most DAWs have a ‘delay’ value that can be set on the second track. Use this to offset the record time.
  9. Continue changing the delay time & re-recording the clip until the two clips line up perfectly.

Your delay value will be the precise round-trip latency.

You can verify the delay with a null test. Invert the recorded track & mix with the original; the samples will cancel out exactly.