Orpheus FAQ, Tips and Techniques

Orpheus FAQ (click on the '+' to expand the answer)
	+	Can I cascade multiple units?
Answer Multiple Orpheus units can be used on the same PC or Mac by simply 'daisy-chaining' their FireWire cables, i.e. connecting the second unit to the spare FireWire connector on the unit already connected to the host. The number of units which can be used successfully depends on the bandwidth of the FireWire bus, and also on the processing power of the host computer and its audio software. For more information, please see the online manual (ID = 0042)
	+	I am feeding Orpheus a digital signal via S/PDIF and am hearing peculiar chirping noises. Whats going on?
Answer This can be caused by the input being out of sync. Please ensure that Orpheus' sync source is set to DI (S/PDIF input) and that Orpheus' sample rate matches the incoming digital signal. (ID = 0045)
	+	Can I share the Orpheus FireWire bus with other devices?
Answer For stable operation, it is recommended that the Orpheus FireWire cable is plugged directly into your PC or Mac. It is not recommended to share the Orpheus FireWire bus with other types of FireWire devices. Orpheus streams high-quality audio data on the FireWire bus. If another device is on the same bus, it may interfere with the audio stream, causing drop-outs or preventing the Orpheus from working at all. Conversely, the Orpheus may prevent other devices from working as expected. It is not recommended to use FireWire Hubs, or to attach the Orpheus to a FireWire port on a peripheral device. However, multiple Orpheus devices may be daisy-chained together. (ID = 0046)
	+	I am feeding another interface/audio device ADAT from my Orpheus and there is noise on the inputs of the interface/audio device.
Answer This is a likely to be a synchronization issue. Try one of the following: 1) Set Orpheus’ Sync Source to DAW (or local on OS X) 2) Attach the Wordclock output of an external device to the Wordclock input of Orpheus, set Orpheus’ Sync Source to WCK (ID = 0047)
	+	I have an external wordclock device feeding Orpheus, there is no audio at playback from my DAW.
Answer Your clock master, or clock source, must match the session’s sample rate. (ID = 0048)
	+	In the digital stereo I/O settings why is there a S/PDIF and TOSlink option in the Input Settings and only a S/PDIF and AES3 option in the Output Settings?
Answer In the Input Settings you are choosing which connection to accept a digital stereo signal from – both the S/PDIF and TOSlink connection will accept a stereo AES3 as well as a stereo S/PDIF signal. Regarding the output you are telling the S/PDIF connection whether to output a S/PDIF or AES3 standard signal. To output a S/PDIF or AES3 signal via TOSlink change the ADAT setting to Send/Rtn. These outputs are then assigned in your DAW (ID = 0049)
	+	I am running a session and need to use the ADAT features of Orpheus, I enabled ADAT on Orpheus’ software but my DAW does not see the inputs or outputs.
Answer This is because your DAW may not acknowledge the I/O availability of the Orpheus hardware when you change the settings on the Orpheus software. To remedy this you can either switch your Core Audio device or ASIO Driver to a different device and then back to Orpheus or close your DAW and restart it. We recommend that you close your DAW whenever you change the ADAT settings on Orpheus. ADAT is a switchable feature of Orpheus meaning that it can be deactivated to relieve work load on your CPU when it is not needed. (ID = 0050)
	+	I cannot select the ASIO or WDM drivers from my DAW. I have installed Orpheus drivers onto Windows XP Service Pack 2 (either on an IBM PC or on a Mac with BootCamp). What is wrong?
Answer Service Pack 2 reduces the speed of some FireWire ports. Microsoft have issued a patch that will correct this problem, but it is not downloaded with automatic updates. For more information about this problem and how to fix it, look at the Microsoft Knowledge Base article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;885222 (ID = 0051)
	+	What's the maximum length Firewire cable I can use with Orpheus?
Answer The Firewire 400 (IEEE 1394-1995) standard specifies a maximum cable length of 4.5m. This is a Firewire specific limit and not an Orpheus specific one. It is possible to extend this range by using active repeater cables or to extend it to many hundreds of metres by using fibre-optic extenders. (ID = 0053)
	+	How do I reboot Orpheus after uprading firmware?
Answer After the firmware has been upgraded, you need to reboot Orpheus by removing the power from the Orpheus hardware, either by unplugging it or turning off at the mains socket. It is not sufficient to press the standby button on the front panel as this does not re-start the Orpheus hardware. (ID = 0054)

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My question is not listed here - what should I try next?

You can do one or more of the following:

Download the Orpheus manuals for full product details.

Have a look at the Online HTML Manual (opens in new window) .

Contact your local distributor for help.

Contact tech.support@prismsound.com for specific problems not found above.