Zoltrix Nightingale Sound Card Q&A's
  1. What are the DIP switches in the Optical Upgrade Kit used for?
  2. Can I turn on both SW3 and SW4?
  3. I followed the installation procedure and have the SPDIF-OUT enabled, but there is no Optical signal output. What could cause this?
  4. I enabled the SPDIF-OUT, there is optical signal when I play MP3 or wave file, but there is no optical signal for MIDI files?
  5. I connected a CD ROM via the digital SPDIF-In. Why is there no sound when playing an audio CD?
  6. I connected a CD ROM drive via the digital SPDIF-In, there is sound when I play the CD, but why is the sound distorted?
  7. I lost my Optical Upgrade Kit User's Manual, how do you correct the SPDIF phase?
  8. I have followed all the steps in question 6, but I still hear that some of the audio is "missed". What is the problem?
  9. I want to directly record a MiniDisk from my internal CD ROM, why can't the MiniDisk recorder recognize the Optical signal?
  10. When recording a single MP3 file to MiniDisk , why does the MiniDisk player/recorder split the song into many parts?
  11. I can transfer audio from the CD-ROM to MiniDisk with my old MiniDisk recorder, but why does it fail when I changed to a Sony MiniDisk recorder?
  12. When I test the speakers set under "Demo Program" and click the subwoofer, but the sound come out from the center speaker and vise versa. What is the problem?
Online Support

1. What are the DIP switches in the Optical Upgrade Kit used for?

The function of the DIP switch and its setting is contained in the Optical Upgrade Kit user's manual. If you lost your manual, below is a brief description:

Before setting any DIP switch, please check your Nightingale version. The steps used are slightly different from one version to the other.

If SC-8738 Rev 1.0 is the version of your card, please follows the steps below:

If SC-8738 Rev 1.1 or later is the version of your card, please follows the steps below:

2. Can I turn on both SW3 and SW4?

No, you should not. You can only set either SW3 or SW4 to ON, do not set both to ON at the same time. Doing so the SPDIF signal from CD-ROM and Optical In may interfere with each other. Some CD-ROM or CD/LD/DVD players will generate the SPDIF signal even if there is a CD playing or not. If you have this kind of player, setting both SW3 and SW4 to ON will distort the signal.

3. I followed the installation procedure and have the SPDIF-OUT enabled, but there is no Optical signal output. What could cause this?

SPDIF-OUT only supports a 44.1kHz and 48kHz 16 bit stereo signal. If your wave file or MP3 file is not recorded with this format, there will be no SPDIF-OUT / Optical signal.

4. I enabled the SPDIF-OUT, there is optical signal when I play MP3 or wave file, but there is no optical signal for MIDI files?

MIDI files will be played with the FM synthesizer. The FM synthesizer does not support the correct format (as mentioned in question 3), therefore there will be no optical signal output when playing MIDI files.

5. I connected a CD ROM via the digital SPDIF-In. Why is there no sound when playing an audio CD?

Check the following:

  1. SW4 is set to ON and SW3 is set to OFF
  2. The "Monitor SPDIF-IN" is enabled, or the SPDIF-IN is selected in the Mixer.
  3. Check if the connection of the SPDIF cable is correct. Pin 1 is the Digital signal and pin 2 is GND -- it must match with the CD-ROM.
  4. There are some CD-ROM drives that have a two pin connector near the 4 pin CD-Audio connector. But there is no SPDIF signal. You must check your CD-ROM User's manual for the support of SPDIF audio.

6. I connected a CD ROM drive via the digital SPDIF-In, there is sound when I play the CD, but why is the sound distorted?

There are several possibilities:

  1. You have set both SW3 and SW4 to ON.
  2. Your CD-ROM may has a reversed SPDIF signal. The Nightingale can correct this problem. Please read the Optical Upgrade Kit User's Manual or the question #7 for instructions to correct the SPDIF phase.

7. I lost my Optical Upgrade Kit User's Manual, how do you correct the SPDIF phase?

You can find a link to users manuals to both the Nightingale sound card and Optical Upgrade Users Manual on the Nightingale drivers page or use the info below:

Before setting any DIP switch, please check your Nightingale version. The steps used are slightly different from one version to the other.

If SC-8738 Rev 1.0 is the version of your card, please follows the steps below:

  1. Insert an audio CD and start playing it.
  2. Remember to enable the SPDIF IN in the mixer.
  3. Try to set SW2 to ON or OFF position and see if the audio is correct.
If SC-8738 Rev 1.1 or later is the version of your card, please follows the steps below:
  1. Set SW2 to OFF
  2. Insert an audio CD and start playing it.
  3. Remember to enable the SPDIF IN in the mixer.
  4. In the Audio Environment Setting or the Advanced Setting in system mixer, click the Diagnostic button. The SPDIF phase will be correctedautomatically.

8. I have followed all the steps in question 6, but I still hear that some of theaudio is "missed". What is the problem?

There are some CD-ROM drives that produce an inaccurate SPDIF signal, since this is a CD-ROM drive problem, the Nightingale cannot correct it. To verify the problem, you may enable the "SPDIF IN Validity detection" in the Audio Environment Setting. If the SPDIF signal is not accurate, you may not hear the digital audio.

9. I want to directly record a MiniDisk from my internal CD ROM, why can't the MiniDisk recorderrecognize the Optical signal?

Please check the following:

  1. Have you set the DIP SW correctly, refer to the question #1.
  2. Check questions #6, #7 and #8. If the SPDIF signal from your CD-ROM drive is not accurate, the MiniDiskrecorder may not be able to identify the Optical Signal.
  3. Have you selected the SPDIF LoopBack in the Audio Environment Setting

10: When recording a single MP3 file to MiniDisk , why does the MiniDisk player/recorder split the song into many parts?

There are two possibilities following:

  1. The MiniDiskmay be fragmented. Just like the hard disk, if you record and erase (partially) the MiniDisk many times, the free space on the MiniDiskmay get fragmented. Then the MiniDiskplayer/recorder will split up the song to fit into the available space.
  2. The SPDIF output of your CD-ROM is inaccurate, please check question #8.

11: I can transfer audio from the CD-ROM to MiniDisk with my old MiniDisk recorder, but why does it fail when I changed to a Sony MiniDisk recorder?

It has been found that some of the MiniDisk  recorders have a tighter requirement for the SPDIF signal, Sony is a typical one. Because of this tighter requirement, if your CD-ROM drives SPDIF signal is not accurate enough you may not be able to transfer the CD audio to MiniDisk directly, please read question #8.

If you have the Sony MiniDisk recorder and an incompatible CD-ROM drive, you may still have a chance to record the CD to MiniDisk. But first, you have to record the CD to a Wave file via the SPDIF IN and then play the Wave file while recording with the MiniDisk recorder.

12: When I test the speakers set under "Demo Program" and click the subwoofer, but the sound come out from the center speaker and vise versa. What is the problem?

figure 1.

figure 2.
The Center/Bass plug (See figure 1) may be vary on different speakers' cables, but you can simply plug out the caps from either 1-2 to 2-3 or 2-3 to 1-2 for JP3and JP4 (See figure 2) to solve the problems.

 

Online Support

I cannot find the information on the problem that I'm having with the sound card. What should I do now?

You can contact online support to answer your sound card questions.

My sound card is defective, where do I return it?

If you purchased your sound card in the United States, read the warranty for information on obtaining a RMA number and return instructions.

If you purchased your modem in Canada, refer your RMA requests to 3D Microcomputers.
If you purchased your modem anywhere else in the World, refer your RMA requests to your local dealer or Zoltrix (International).
 
Copyright@2000 Zoltrix International Limited
                            Last updated on 27 April 2000