Configuration for Mac OSX (Snow Leopard)

There are two primary steps to configuring playback through your Cantata Music Center or Pont Neuf device:

    1. Make sure all “system sounds” (beeps, interface sounds, etc.) are played through the internal sound card
    2. Route only musical information through the Cantata Music System.

Under the Apple menu, choose “System Preferences”.

System Preferences Screen

 

Choose “Sound” under the hardware section.

 

First, we want to ensure that system-related sounds are routed to the internal speakers and not through your system.

Click on the “Sound Effects” tab, and under “Play Alerts and Sound Effects”, choose “Internal Speakers”.

Now, select the “Output” tab and choose the appropriate device, either “Cantata Music Center” or “Pont Neuf” as the output device. Music from iTunes and other music sources will then be routed through that device.

You also need to make sure that higher bit rate audio isn’t downsampled before being output. If you’ll only be playing CDs and standard-resolution audio files, you only need to perform the following steps once. However, if you plan to swtich between standard and high-resolution audio formats, you’ll need to change these settings more often. You may wish to drag this application to the Dock for quick access.

Within your Applications folder is another folder called “Utilities”. Open the Utilities folder and look for an application called “Audio MIDI Setup” (It looks like a small synthesizer keyboard), and launch the application.

 

Select “Audio Devices”, and select Cantata Music Center on the left.

In the options for “Cantata Music Center”, choose the appropriate sample rate (Labeled “Format”) in the “Audio Output” section. For CD source material or MP3 music files, this will be 44100.0 Hz, 2ch-24bit.

Note that if the sample is different than the source material, the system will perform a sample-rate conversion and the data sent to the Cantata will not be “bit-accurate”. Always make sure the sample rate matches the source material. Note also that you must quit, and re-launch iTunes for the sample rate change to take effect.

Play a track in iTunes to confirm your settings.