Question to FCA 610 Users

I have called Behringer but it seems their "engineers" don't really seem to know their products very well. I originally talked to a rep about the new Uphoria UMC1820 and was told it was not very good and had lots of "nightmares" with Win 10. I use Win 7 so perhaps that wouldn't be a problem. They also said it had 8 analog outputs (yet the back panel picture clearly shows 10 -- after pointing that out they said oh, yeah, that's right). Then spoke to them regarding the FCA 610 as all I am attempting to do is have 10 output channels. So, it appears that the FCA 610 has 8 analog 1-8 and then 2 digital 9-10. Now, my scenario is I would like to put 8 outputs analog to my Behringer 2931A's, and then use 9-10 digital to run to subwoofer. My confusion is with a DAC on 9 and 10 will HW then recognize that there are actually 10 output channels available -- even though some (2) are digital? And, having never seen a DAC how do the digital channels get their signal -- also from the USB connection? So -- in the end I would have 10 outputs -- 8 analog 1-8 to B2031 A's and 2 digital 9-10 running to the sub -- all with the signal getting there thru the USB and all channels 1-10 appearing on the HW audio outputs screen allowing multichannel output throughout? And nothing connecting to computer other than the USB cable as far as audio goes -- I am thinking the DAC connects to the 9-10 out on the back of the 610 and yields 2 RCA L/R to subwoofer. Right or Crazy?

This is probably basic for most of you -- but I am easily confused!!!!!

Thanks if you can clear this up in my electronically handicapped mind.

Tom

I don't have one but have looked at the details online.

It has 8 analogue outputs which connect direct to a preamp/power amp/speakers or to "powered speakers". The other two digital outputs are S/PDIF format outputs. You need to buy a S/PDIF to analogue output converter and connect this to the 9/10 output connector on the FCA 610 this gives analogue outputs. This is an example of what you needhttp://www.lightinthebox.com/analog-l-r-to-digital-spdif-coaxial-coax-rca-optical-toslink-audio-converter_p2305759.html?currency=GBP&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&adword_mt=&adword_ct=84187195634&adword_kw=&adword_pos=1o1&adword_pl=&adword_net=g&adword_tar=&adw_src_id=1810908567_301579154_21687113474_pla-214570461434&gclid=CLie2KzsoNACFUW4Gwod6I4NYA you probably need a better one! You also need a short cable to connect the converter to the 610.

I don't know how the unit switches sampling rates but other similar devices seem to switch automatically. Perhaps you can check this from the manual. If you use Windows be sure ASIO drivers are available for you OS. Check it is supported on your MAC. The device should appear as a ten output device in HW.

Good luck.

Iain

My confusion is with a DAC on 9 and 10 will HW then recognize that there are actually 10 output channels available -- even though some (2) are digital?

Yes, they will appear in HW's list of potential output channels as:
009: FCA610 SPDIF O L
010: FCA610 SPDIF O R

I am thinking the DAC connects to the 9-10 out on the back of the 610 and yields 2 RCA L/R to subwoofer. Right or Crazy?

Right. Or you could use the optical 'Toslink' connection instead - though there would be no particular advantage in doing so as far as I'm aware.

And you are also right that all the information is transferred via the single USB connection. However, using the FCA610 via USB on my ordinary (ie not HW dedicated) computer I get the occasional click in the output. This is said to be caused by the USB system dealing with other things at the same time. Other users have reported that touch screens for example can cause this.

It is said that using the 'Firewire' connection is better.

Iain is right to suggest that there are better DACs than the kind he gives an example of, but at greater cost. I have used examples of the cheap kind and find them OK for driving just a subwoofer (or two).

Nick

Iain is right to suggest that there are better DACs than the kind he gives an example of, but at greater cost. I have used examples of the cheap kind and find them OK for driving just a subwoofer (or two).

Another alternative is to use a home receiver deck. Many of these have an S/PDIF input via Toslink or Coax port. As I mentioned in a previous post, I picked up one at a garage sale very cheap, a Yamaha RX-V661. Here it is here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/282231591964?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

I'm using this to power my (passive) surround speakers for those multichannel organ sets that have that. They work and sound great! This may be an overkill suggestion just to convert a digital signal to analog, but if you have a receiver laying around . . .

Here is another digital to analog converter, maybe a step up from Iain's suggestion:
https://www.amazon.com/Orei-DA21-Optical-Converter-Headphone/dp/B008EPW7TA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478879410&sr=8-1&keywords=Orei+DA21

Danny B.

Thanks very much for the advice from all!!!! I really appreciate it. It seemed to make some sense to me but I always doubt my electronics handicapped mind. I will do a little more research of DAC's and make the decision. I'd be lost without your thoughtful help and your time.

Tom

Hello -- Just got the FCA610 and installed it, complete with the DAC for channels 9 and 10. Am having mixed success and hoping someone here can clear up what I am apparently not understanding. Went to Behringer site and downloaded latest driver for FCA 610 (I think it was 6.13) and installed it -- no problems. Now, when I look in my windows control pane to set default audio desired I see that the FCA 610 is there and recognized, but it indicates WDM (Windows Driver Model) not ASIO. So I make that the default since it is the only choice. Now, when I bring HW up and go into audio setup, the FCA 610 is there, and one choice is ASIO x64 and I set up my outputs accordingly using the ASIO X64 choice. I get no sound out of the speakers and no indicator on the front of the FCA 610 that signal is active. However, within HW signal shows in the audio/midi control pane. Strangely, if I set up Reaper, it does find the FCA 610 and ASIO and I get sound out of all speakers and sub on appropriate channels but still no signal indicating output activity on the FCA 610.

Must the 610 be used with a DAW such as Reaper or can it be standalone?

I don't mind using Reaper but am trying desperately to understand what is going on here and see if perhaps I missed something in setup -- I must admit their documentation is not terribly informative and there seem to be no step by step instructions with explanation which I apparently need.

If anyone can shed some light on how to properly set up this interface I would be most appreciative.

Thanks

Tom

The Behringer FCA610 is a stand-alone interface, and I see no reason why you should need to route it through Reaper or anything else.
Be aware that it is a hybrid device, i.e. it can be connected via either USB or FireWire (and there is a separate downloadable driver for each option).
Given the choice (and a FireWire port on the motherboard, or a PCI or PCEe FireWire card) I would always use FireWire as the preferred option, not least because with USB there is more chance of conflicts, and the irritation of it not being recognised (because Windows might have renamed it) if you connect it to a different USB port.
To be honest, it isn't my favourite interface, and it isn't the easiest to set up and use, but it's cheap and (most of the time) it does the job. And, as Tom says, the documentation is minimal and not very helpful.

[mdyde]

Hello Tom,

I have no first-hand experience with the FCA 610 (or any of Behringer's other current products), but if you're managing to get sound through its ASIO driver in Reaper but not in Hauptwerk then conceivably one application is using a different sample rate to the other, and the audio interface is locked/switched to one of them. Similarly, perhaps some other application (or Windows itself) is trying to play sounds through the interface at one sample rate (probably 44.1 kHz) preventing any other application from being able to use it simultaneously at a different sample rate.

The default St. Anne's organ uses/requires 44.1 kHz, whereas most other sample sets use 48 kHz.

Note that many ASIO drivers require exclusive access to their hardware, so whenever you're using the ASIO you driver you need to make absolutely certain that no other running application (including Windows itself, e.g. for notification sound effects) can be trying to produce sound through the audio interface. Hence it's usually safest to set the Windows default playback and recording device settings to something entirely different than your audio interface. (E.g. use the motherboard's or monitor's built-in sound output for Windows itself.)

I don't know whether those things might be relevant in this case.

Thanks Martin and all who commented. I made sure I disabled every audio device and program that showed up in the windows audio control panel and that solved the problem of no sound. Just for good measure I downloaded and reinstalled the drivers from Behringer and all is well -- got sound on all channels using the ASIO setting that shows up in the HW audio outputs panel.

For some reason it still doesn't show any physical indication of signal in the 8 analog line outs but does show physical indication in the digital 9 and 10 when a note is activated on the pedalboard (routed pedal ranks to 9/10 digital). I have no clue as to why this is but it's not absolutely essential but I may attempt to send a question to behringer's support -- perhaps that has something to do with midi?

My ears tell me all channels are working as expected so I can get by from here -- if anyone else as a thought about those indicator lights on the FCA 610 I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks so much for all your help guys! Much appreciated.

Tom

[mdyde]

Thanks, Tom. Glad to hear it's mainly working now. I don't think that the issue with the channel 1-8 activity lights on the interface could be relevant to MIDI -- I would expect them to indicate activity on the relevant audio channels. Perhaps there's some relevant setting in Behringer's driver control panel.

The channel lights need a reasonable level (but I haven't measured what that is, and the manual doesn't say either) before they will turn green. They are also supposed to turn red when clipping may be imminent though I have never seen this.

If none of them ever turn green, even with heavy registrations and big chords, it would suggest that the overall levels you have HW sending to it may be too low, in which case you should try turning up the (digital) level being sent to the FCA610 and compensate by turning down the (analogue) sensitivity of your amplifiers.

If the sound is coming out OK I woudn't worry about it.

Nick

Well that was it for the lights Nick. I use the Skinner and it has always been nearly inaudible at the -10db setting at least for the Choir and Swell, not so much for the pedals and Great. Others have noted that on here as well. Apparently the FCA610 sensitivity is highr than my old interface so when I boosted the signal coming from HW the lights took off. It isn't necessary, but it does help a bit when I hear something that is out of whack to be able to physcially see where that is originating from in order to correct it easily. So now the 610 is doing what it is supposed to do and while not the interface of my dreams (well of my dreams yes, but of my wallet, no) it is doing the job for my non-professional enjoyment.

Thanks to you and Martin for putting up with my questions and your valued input!

Enjoy this holidays

Tom