What do I need besides the XOverWizard II advanced software to make good reliable measurements?
This is the hardware you need for measurement with our software: Condenser microphone, mic preamplifier, soundcard, microphone stand and cables.

The soundcard should be external (USB or FireWire) or internal (PCI only stationary PC) with at least 2 inputs and 2 outputs full duplex at least 48kHz, but preferable 96kHz still full duplex (all inputs/outputs running simultaneously at sample rate). You will also need a microphone preamplifier with phantom power (+48V) for the condenser microphone (see list below). Some soundcards include the preamplifier with phantom power and this way you have a simpler solution with much less complications - rather recommendable. Such an external soundcard could be UA-101 Edirol (now obsolete), that has proven its qualities here at Ground Sound = a thumb up. As time goes by there might have come other great USB soundcards that will fulfill requirements for excellent measurements - so scan the web for other possibilities !!! The microphone stand can be a standard one with 3-legs, boom and adjustable height. Required cables depends on hardware, but at least microphone cable, cable between soundcard output and amplifier input and reference loop back cable.
NOTE: Avoid phantom power from the reference input XLR to the reference output by using a reference cable with TRS + TRS connectors).

Recommended Soundcards:

• Roland UA-55/Quad-Capture * 96kHz full duplex - Good performance
• RME Fireface UC * 192kHz full duplex - High performance
• RME Babyface * 192kHz full duplex - Good performance
• Motu 4pre/8pre * 96kHz full duplex
• M-Audio Fast Track Ultra * 96kHz full duplex - Obsolete
• M-Audio Fast Track PRO * 48kHz full duplex
• Roland (Edirol) UA-101 * 96kHz full duplex - Obsolete

Condenser Microphones:

• Audix TM-1 * Phantom 18-52V
• Behringer ECM8000 * Phantom 15-48V
• DPA Microphones 4090 * Phantom 48V
• DBX DriveRack RTA-M * Phantom 9-52V
• Earthworks M30/M50 * Phantom 48V
• Haun MBNM 550 E-L * Phantom 16-48V
• Peavey PVR 2 * Phantom 9-52V
• Superlux ECM999 * Phantom 15-48V
• t.bone MM-1 * Phantom 9-52V
• NTI Audio Mini SPL * Battery Powered

Will the XOverWizard software run on Mac?
I can say YES (by Bootcamp or virtual machine enviroment such as Parallels or Fusion, but not natively) although we haven't tested it ourselves, but some of our customers are running the software on their Mac's and others run the software on Linux Operating Systems.

How do I setup the 4 presets in DCN28?
DCN28 features the option of having 4 different “Input Processing Block” Presets. These presets are selected via the remote control or via the front panel menu – menu option 3 “Preset”. The 4 presets have to be programmed all at once in one setup together with the rest of the setup parameters. The 4 presets “only” operate in the “Input Processing Block” as an overall tonal balance option. A preset has nothing to do with the driver’s crossover points and EQ setup (Output Processing Block) and the presets have therefore been chosen to only operate in the “Input Processing Block”.
How to setup the presets: Have a look at the XOverWizard II tab X-Over. Click the “Edit Filter” button in Input Processing Block A (or B). Now you will see a big empty gray square (if the current preset has NO filter) with a “Back” button in the upper left hand corner and the “square” is labelled “Input Processing Block A” (or B) and the number of used biquads is also indicated (max. 10 biquads). The current preset number is displayed below the gray “square” with the drop down box option of 4 presets.
You can add a new filter in the current preset by right clicking in an empty space in the gray “square” and a popup-box will give you several choices of filter types – choose one for example “1:st order Shelving Low-Pass Filter”. You can alter the parameters of the filter either by dragging the red lines and red square in the graphical windows or by typing new values of parameters in the highlighted filter box. Add a new filter or go on to the next preset by choosing a new number in the Preset dropdown box. Follow the same procedure as above until you have setup up all of the 4 presets like you want them. NOW you can program your DCN28 hardware by pressing the “Program Device” button. And now you can enjoy the comfort of changing tonal balance via the remote

How do I install the driver for the USB-interface?
The USB-interface is actually an onboard USB to COM Port (RS-232) adaptor and the circuit is made by FTDIchip.com. The driver for this device can be downloaded here FTDI driver (Windows OS) or at the manufactures web page - also drivers for Mac. If you place the driver file on the desktop, it’s easy to find and to point out to the installation wizard.

How do I know which COM-port number is assigned to the attached digital crossover?
If you get an error message you might have chosen a wrong COM Port number. Then you simply press the button Refresh Ports. Now you should be able to see which COM Port number the attached DCN28 has been assigned and be able to program the DCN28 from the XOverWizard II software.

You can also see this in the Device Manager of your Windows OS under Ports (COM & LPT) as a USB Serial Port (COM number). Windows will automatically assign a free COM Port and Windows on this specific PC will always use this number for this specific DCN filter unless you change it. You can open the Device Manager by right click on the desktop icon and the choose Properties/Hardware tab/Device Manager or Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Computer Management

In rare occasions your PC / laptop could have had many USB device attached and therefore the Windows OS have assigned many virtual COM ports to different devices – in such rare occasion the number assigned to the current DCN28 might have gone over COM9, which for some reason will not work. In this event you have to reassign a COM port number low than 10 manually. This is done in the device manager described above.

Connecting an unbalanced analogue source to the DCN28 XLR input...
If you got a single-ended RCA / chinch output of your analogue source you to buy an adaptor or buy / make an adaptor cable with RCA connector in one end of a microphone cable (2 conductors + shield) and a XLR connector at the other. Connect like this: RCA inner connector - conductor (often red) – XLR pin 2 (hot), RCA shield – resistor (100R) or short – conductor (often white) – XLR pin 3 (cold), RCA shield – wire shield – XLR pin 1 (neutral).
RCA to XLR cable

Connecting a power amplifier with RCA to DCN28 balanced XLR output...
If a connected power amplifier only has RCA input (singled ended) you will have to use an adapter or better yet an adapter cable. IMPORTANT NOTE: make sure that the inverted output (pin3) is NOT shorted to GND (pin1). You might damage the output buffer in DCN28.
DIY cable connect like this: XLR pin 2 (hot) - conductor (often red) – RCA inner connector, XLR pin 3 (cold) NOT connected, XLR pin 1 (neutral) – wire shield – RCA shield.

How do I attenuate the individual output channels of DCN28?
There is two ways of attenuating the individual channels in the DCN28 either via the software or via the encoder button on the DCN28 front panel maximum -15dB. If you know there is a big difference between driver sensitivity AND gain of used power amplifier channels it is advisable to attenuate the drivers via the front panel menu, which in turn makes the attenuation in analogue domain. If there isn't much difference between driver sensitivities it's okay to simply do it via the XOverWizard software setup - the attenuation is now done in the digital domain.
Theoretically it is better to do the individual channel attenuation in the analogue domain AFTER the DAC, so there is no bit reduction in the digital domain. If the difference is minor the advantage is also minor.

How do I set the start volume of DCN28?
You can alter the start up volume via the encoder button on the DCN28 front panel. It's done in the last menu option labeled "StartVol"