Provided you’re running both OSX and Windows XP on the system, you can switch to Windows XP and use that for the PAA3 software.  Unfortunately Mac OSX is not supported at this time.

Lost the software CD that came with your PAA2, PAA3, Helix Board or Firefly? Now software for Phonic’s products may be downloaded at http://doc.phonic.com/.

The main (and most interesting) feature in the upgraded Helix Board FireWire MKIIs is the Pre/Post switch, which allows the user to swap the streaming input channels to computer from pre-low cut,- EQ to post-EQ, post-fader.

Please follow the steps outlined below to check the FireWire connection:

1. Close all other applications and reinstall the driver. Make sure you complete the driver installation by clicking on the “Finish” button before the driver installation.
2. When running Cubase, make sure all other software is shut off to avoid the programs conflicting with each other.
3. Before starting a new project on Cubase, make sure you double check the sampling rate shown in both Cubase and the Helix control panel software is the same.
4. Another culprit may be the FireWire card that is being used. Not all FireWire cards will be equally successful at establishing a clear connection with the Helix Boards. We find the ADS pyro 64 FireWire card with a TI chip is the most ideal card for use with our products.
5. If a connection is lost (in Cubase) you can go to device/device setup and select the VST Multi-track, then select the Phonic Helix ASIO driver. If the connection is lost, you should press the reset button on this page and re-select the Phonic Helix ASIO driver to make it live again.

The 64 bit-driver is available for download at http://doc.phonic.com/. Be sure your computer system Windows XP SP1/SP2 or Windows Vista with all the latest updates.  Please also follow the steps as below to check the FireWire connection:

If you want to use your P6A to play live music, preferably, you should have a sound card or Audio/Midi interface with 2 outputs (L & R) to connect your speakers to your Mac/PC. If you don’t have a sound card with this feature, you might need a mixer. However you can also buy a special y-cord (single to dual) with a mini stereo jack on one side, to plug into your notebook, and 2 phone jacks on the other (or possibly RCA) to connect the P6A. This cable can be found at most electronics shops.

Provided your Helix Board’s driver has been installed correctly, the following should allow you to get a single channel to your computer; repeat steps 2 through 5 for more channels.

Despite the large storage capacities of todays hard disks, it is necessary to preposition the needed disk space especially for large high resolution multitrack recordings.

As a rule, Steinberg software runs on all standard computers, provided that these satisfy the system requirements printed on the given product’s package. Happily, you’ll today’s market offers a computer to suit every application and budget. Affordable computers for smaller projects are readily available, as are highly specialized multiprocessor systems for professional applications in the music and movie industries. You’ll even find powerful systems for mobile use so that nothing stands in the way of deploying Steinberg software on stage and producing music on the go, away from your studio.