Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
Hello everyone, Jesse here.
As many of you know I have been fighting tooth and nail to not only figure out my Zapco DC Ref 650.6 but get it working properly. After literally getting nearly every error code possible, to include one code NO ONE AT ZAPCO HAS EVER HEARD OF, I have a system that is up and running although it is not 100% complete.
Okay to get started if your running Win 7 (64) or Vista you will need an additional driver. I have that driver and if you PM me your email address I will send it to you.
If ANYONE gets the error that Zapco has NEVER HEARD of:
Replace your Mini USB to USB cable. After careful testing it was discovered that my input portion of the cable was good but the output (amp to laptop) was broken. Yeah I know.
Before you get started if you have tried to load your Zapco amp before and have failed you not only need to uninstall the program from your laptop you need to perform the following:
Hook up your amp and turn your power source on.
Click on your windows orb in the bottom left hand corner and open your start menu.
Right click on "Computer" and select "Properties"
A window will pop up and display the basic info of your computer.
On the upper left side of that pop-up click on "Device Manager"
You will see a long list of things processing through your motherboard.
You might see "Network Amp" under a USB device.
Right click on this and Uninstall it. This will wipe it clean from your system.
Turn off power and unplug the amp from the laptop.
NOW WE HAVE A FRESH START
Here are the steps to follow to set up your amp. I will intervene at the place most common issues occur and explain how I over came the issue in RED FONT.
Loading software and drivers for Windows Vista and
Windows 7- 64 bit version
1. Load program onto your computer via link provided by Zapco or by disc.
------If you are using an HP Mini or other NON CD drive possessing computer you will need to use a program like Power ISO to create an .ISO file that your computer will recognize as a CD or just rip the Zapco disc onto a thumb drive and move the file folder over.
2. Open file
3. Run Setup.exe
a. This portion you simply need to hit Next, Next then Install
4. Once program is loaded DO NOT START THE SOFTWARE. The Drivers need to be loaded before the software is run
5. Open the Zip file that was sent along with the Zapco program named Zapco X64 Driver
------This is where I can send you the file PM ME!!
6. Once the Zip file is opened copy the file inside to your desktop or to a location in your computer that is easy to remember.
a. Where ever you save that file to you must remember for later in the installation and it can not be moved once finished.
Loading the drivers for this process may be different per computer
1. Connect amplifier to PC via the supplied USB cable
2. Power amplifiers on
3. Open start menu
4. Right click on “computer”
5. Left click on “manage”
6. Under Computer management select “Device Manager”
7. Once Device Manager opens you will see “Other Devices”
a. If you expand the selection you will find “Network Amplifier”
8. Right click on network amplifier and select update drivers
9. On the next screen it will ask what you would like to do. Select the option
“Browse my computer for driver software
10. on the next screen you will see a box with a Browse button to the right of it.
Select Browse
a. You need to locate the file you have saved from the Zip folder named
“Zapco x64 Driver”
b. Select that file then hit ok
11. once you hit ok it will bring you back to the previous menu and the Zapco X64
Driver will be in the box
12. Select Next
a. At this point a Windows Security box will appear
b. Select “install driver software anyways”
13. Select finish
14. Once that has installed you will need to go back to Device Manager
15. Once again under “other devices” you will see “USB Serial Port”
16. Right click and select “update drivers”
17. Follow steps 9-13 from above again
Loading the Software and Drivers for Windows Vista and
Windows 7- 32bit.
1. Load program onto your computer via link provided by Zapco or by disc.
2. Open file
3. Run Setup.exe
a. This portion you simply need to hit Next, Next then Install
4. Once program is loaded DO NOT START THE SOFTWARE. The Drivers need
to be loaded before the software is run
Loading the drivers for this process may be different per computer
1. Connect amplifier to PC via the supplied USB cable
2. Power amplifiers on
3. In a few seconds the Install Wizard should open. If it does not please see below
on how to proceed. If it does proceed to step 4
4. First it will ask if you would like to connect to the internet to find the driver.
Select no
5. On the next screen it will ask what you would like to do. Select the option
“Browse my computer for driver software
6. on the next screen you will see a box with a Browse button to the right of it.
Select Browse
a. the File you are looking for will be under your Local Disc C and is Named
“ZAPCO USB DRIVER 1”
b. Select that file then hit ok
7. once you hit ok it will bring you back to the previous menu and the ZAPCO USB
DRIVER 1 will be in the box
8. Select Next
a. At this point a Windows Security box will appear
b. Select “install driver software anyways”
9. Select finish
10. Install hardware will open again
11. Repeat steps 4-9
12. at this point it will tell you that your hardware is installed and ready to use.
If the install wizard does not open follow the following steps.
13. Open start menu
14. Right click on “computer”
15. Left click on “manage”
16. Under Computer management select “Device Manager”
17. Once Device Manager opens you will see “Other Devices”
a. If you expand the selection you will find “Network Amplifier”
18. Right click on network amplifier and select update drivers
19. Follow steps 5-9 from above
20. Once that has installed you will need to go back to Device Manager
21. Once again under “other devices you will see “USB Serial Port”
22. Right click and select “update drivers”
23. Follow steps 5-9 from above again
Okay. Now you think you are done and maybe your are three sheets to the wind and have made up new profane words to describe your amp. You try and open your program and you get this:
Yeah. Please keep in mind all of this trouble shooting has been cleaned up from my original mess and polished into this thread for you guys. I lost hair over this amp. Literally.
DON'T FREAK OUT.
The second window indicates that the amp has a different program version installed (older version) (possible older versions 1.20, 1.21, 1.31,1.32, or 1.33).
You would need to shut the program down.
Turn off the amp
Click down #5 dip switch
Restart amp
Restart program
This will bring up a new window. After administrator password is entered (Zapco), clicking on the Yes or OK will reprogram the amp to the newer version software on your computer.
After programming completes:
Close the program
Turn off amp
Put #5 dip switch back to up position
Restart the amp and program.
This will have updated the amp to the version software on your computer – BUT – will also have reset all settings to Factory Default. You will need to go and reprogram all your settings.
The only way to retrieve your current settings in the amp, is to downgrade the current program on your computer to the old version of the program, save the settings to a file from the amp on your computer, reupdate your computer program, update the amp, and then factory reset. Once updated to factory, you can then save the saved settings file on the computer to the amp and you will have all the old settings the amp had. (this must be done before resetting the amp to the newer factory settings)
I am sure there are a few error codes along the way I missed, but not to worry, I took pictures of everything and can whip up an answer pretty quick.
Once everything is all hooked up and your amp is on you may notice everything sounds like complete asssssssssssss.
AGAIN DON"T FREAK OUT. PM Me and I will sent you a basic setup to "baseline" your amp. I spent a couple hours on the phone total with reps and Zapco getting this sensitive bastard to like me. Now I have a sexy sounding front stage and I still have to add the rear fill and phantom center.
Good luck guys and post issues as they arrive, lots of guys on here who know wayyy more than me. I just had my ass handed to me for about three weeks before I finally had music in the car.
Re: Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
Quote:
Originally Posted by redbaronace
Once the software is installed on computer, how difficult is it to tune car?
It depends on the person and skill level. If you are really good and know your crossover points, and have a pretty good handle of what fq produce what sounds then it should only take 2-4 hours to get things from baseline to decent DD. As for competition..................well that is all relative. I will spend 6-8 months on my setup dialing it in.
07 Acura TL- PHD FB 4.1s for kicks and center, PHD AF 1.C TW for dash, big midbass, unk sub, saving up for Mosconi amps and Bitone.
95 Mustang- Gutted except Morel M428, Sub JL 10W6v2
Re: Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
Quote:
Originally Posted by ehaze
i wasn't a fan of the DC Ref 650.6.
just not enough power.
moved to a dc 1100.1 and 1000.4.
life is better.
the 1100.1 comes to life when pushing a Ultimo 12.
Jebus! What were you trying to push with it! I was running a 3-way component set and rear fill. Plenty of power for that. As for pushing a sub, yeah get a bigger amp.
07 Acura TL- PHD FB 4.1s for kicks and center, PHD AF 1.C TW for dash, big midbass, unk sub, saving up for Mosconi amps and Bitone.
95 Mustang- Gutted except Morel M428, Sub JL 10W6v2
Re: Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
Quote:
Originally Posted by splaudiohz
Jebus! What were you trying to push with it! I was running a 3-way component set and rear fill. Plenty of power for that. As for pushing a sub, yeah get a bigger amp.
not enough power to the sub was the primary issue.
Re: Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
Newbee couldn't help noticing this thread. I've got the 650.6 running my front stage (2 way) and rear fill with the 750.2 bridged to an Ultimo 12. (Was considering the 1100.1 but was advised the 750's higher damping factor was a better choice) I love these amps! Loading the software is a pain indeed but once your up and running tuning is quite easy, from your driver seat. As to the power, no complaints there running hybrid ovations in the front. The fans are a bit loud though and I'm told that Zapco under rates their amps, so I was never quite sure how much power I actually get from them....
Re: Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
I can tell you that I too was and have been a bit frustrated by the tuning aspect, but here is what I figured out works pretty damn good with the Zapco software and my set up.
What I do is tune each component system separately.
Once I have the crossover points, sensitivity, slope etc. all set up where I think I need them to be, I start in on the tweeters ONLY.
In other words, on the DSP software, you have several settings down at the bottom of the page. Over towards the right bottom, there is an output level slider. With the volume on your HU turned up ONLY enough for you to hear the component(s) you are tuning, and a track selected and playing in (repeat mode) select the sub woofer channel(s) check box at the top of the DSP interface and then go back down to the output level slider for the sub and pull it all the way down to MUTE.
Do this for the mid bass, and mids channels as well so the only output is your tweeters.
Start dialing in your settings for the tweeters in a way that sounds good to you. Make sure your tweets are crossed high enough so that you dont overheat and blow them. Start with a high pass setting of 3000khz as an example.
Then adjust your sensitivity and output levels until you have no shrill or harsh peaks coming from your tweets. Once you get that set then you can start increasing the volume on your HU to see how they sound with higher output.
As a side note, I start this process with all EQ set @ zero, both on the HU and the DSP software.
Once you get the tweets dialed in enough so that they are not screaming in anguish at higher volumes, save that setting to the top save point (#1).
Then mute the tweeter channel, and start in on the mids using the same approach.
Dial in the mids starting at low volume from you HU, and finish by turning the volume up to what you think will be the max output you will use during everyday use. Again making sure they are not screaming, or making any harsh noises at the max volume you will use.
Save that setting to #1 again.
Then mute the mid channel and start dialing in the sub the same way.
Make sure there are no harsh hits from the sub and you have isolated the frequencies your woofer is capable of reproducing.
Save that setting to #1 again.
Once you get all of them set up individually, go back (with HU volume LOW), and un-mute the other 2 channels (mid and tweet) so that all 3 channels are playing together and see how they sound in concert with each other.
From there, you can play with output levels and EQ to get the harmonious sounds you want.
Save all future settings to the other save positions so that you can always go back to #1 as a reference without having to start from scratch should you save a bad setting accidentally.
I strongly recommend saving that #1 setting to a file (the bottom most save selection in the menu) because it is my experience that the DSP software will glitch at least once in your lifetime and you will have to re-install the USB driver or the DSP software and start over. As long as you have your #1 set up saved to a file, you can re-load it after re-installing the driver or software and be right back where you started.
I am not a professional, nor do I claim to know everything, but I have been toying with the DSP software and Zapco amps for a while now, and this system works really good for me.
The problem with trying to tune everything (tweets, mids, sub) together, is that each system will mask poor settings of the other, and while they may sound OK in concert with each other, as individual systems, they are making noise and really ruining the whole sound spectrum.
Also, I was told (or read) that EQ should be used sparingly, and should be used to "pull" down offending frequencies as opposed to boosting non offending frequencies to mask offending frequencies.
That system has worked really well for me and I am really quite happy with the way my system sounds right now.
Here is a journal of my build. I did it all myself and I think it sounds damn good.
Re: Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
While this thread is gaining some age, it still saved me MANY hours of frustration. Your post was so thorough I set everything up in about 10 minutes. THANK YOU!!!!
Re: Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
Quote:
Originally Posted by pereze
While this thread is gaining some age, it still saved me MANY hours of frustration. Your post was so thorough I set everything up in about 10 minutes. THANK YOU!!!!
Np brother. That is what forums are for. We are a combination of knowledge.
07 Acura TL- PHD FB 4.1s for kicks and center, PHD AF 1.C TW for dash, big midbass, unk sub, saving up for Mosconi amps and Bitone.
95 Mustang- Gutted except Morel M428, Sub JL 10W6v2
Re: Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
Wow great thread bro I just picked up a dc 650.6 and this saved me a ton of work, time, and headaches easy to set up thanks to this thread TONS OF THANKS
Win 7/Vista 32/64 Zapco DC Ref Setup: My Nightmare is your gain
was never quite sure how much 
Linear Mode
