USB-SA External Digital Sound Card
(C1-1021450-1)
Installation
To top- Plug your playback device into the green port on the USB-SA.
- Plug your recording device into the pink port on the USB-SA.
- Plug the USB-SA into your desktop computer or laptop.
Product Manual
To topFAQ
To topFrequently Asked Questions
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My device keeps disconnecting from my Windows computer.
Insufficient power reaching the USB port is often to blame for this issue. If you have tried all available USB ports and this problem persists try the following.
Windows Vista and Windows 7- Click the “Start” button and in the search bar type “power” then select “Change power-savings settings”
- Click on “Change advanced power settings”
- Click on “USB settings”
- Click on “USB selective suspend settings” and change to “Disabled”
- Click “Apply”
Windows 8 and up
- Type “power options” in the Start screen search bar, and select “Power Options”
- Select “Change plan settings” for whichever plan your system is currently running.
- Select “USB settings”
- Select “USB selective suspend setting”
- Disable both “On Battery” and “Plugged In”, then click Apply or OK.
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Do I need an installation disk or do I need to download any software in order for my USB-SA to work?
No software is required. Simply plug in the headset, and set it as the default audio device on your PC.
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Is the USB-SA compatible with Windows 10?
Yes the USB-SA is plug and play device, and is compatible with Windows Vista and higher.
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Do I need AudioCommander in order for to use my USB with Dragon Naturally Speaking?
NO! In fact it is important that you do not turn on any additional microphone filters within AudioCommander if you are using Dragon. The additional filters will hamper Dragons ability to properly set the microphones audio levels and hinder your voice recognition score within Dragon. The AudioCommander filters are intended for VoIP, long distance learning and on line gaming where background noise can affect how you are being heard.
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I recently replaced my USB-SA, and the “microphone boost” adjustment is gone.
Newer versions of the USB-SA have the microphone boost built into the device itself.
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Is the USB-SA compatible with Linux?
Yes, the USB-SA will work on Linux.
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What is the difference between the USB-MA and the USB-SA?
The USB-MA offers one 3.5mm stereo microphone input only, while the USB-SA offers both a 3.5mm stereo microphone input and a 3.5mm stereo speaker/headphone output.
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When using my headset and the USB-SA with Dragon Naturally Speaking what are Andrea Communications suggested settings?
It is not necessary to run our partner Andrea Electronics AudioCommander filters with speech recognition software such as Dragon. The filters are better suited for use with applications such as Skype or Pal-Talk.
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When I plug my USB-SA into my Mac all of my input devices change to USB devices.
There is nothing wrong here. Older USB-SA devices will expose these three inputs. Simply use the “Microphone” device and ignore the “External Line Connector” and “External SPDIF Interface” devices.
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I use Dragon Naturally Speaking software and am using the USB-SA with a headset. Unfortunately, the headset picks up all the background noise (i.e. my breathing) which Dragon tries to translate. How can I fix this?
First, be sure the USB-SA headset is the default recording and playback device in the Windows “Sound” control panel as well as in Dragon. (Contact Dragon for more details.)
Second, be sure that the white dot on the end of the microphone boom is pointing directly at your mouth, and position the microphone about 1.5″ from your mouth. If these steps do not solve the problem, you will need to contact your seller for a replacement. -
For identification purposes, is “Andrea” imprinted on your devices?
Our headsets will have the model number on the device such as Andrea USB-SA
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Which of your products are compatible with Dragon Dictate for Mac?
Our NC-181VM USB, NC-185VM USB, EDU-455 USB and EDU-255 USB are all compatible with most dictate programs for the Mac.
- Where can I download AudioCommander?
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How can I use the USB-SA to make mono recordings?
You must install and run the optional software available from our partner Andrea Electronics AudioCommander software. In the recording box of AudioCommander click on the “New Recording” button located on the left. Change from “Stereo” to “Mono”.
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Where do I go to download the drivers for Windows?
The USB-SA is a plug and play device and as such the required drivers are supplied by Windows.
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I am trying to use the USB-SA device with my headset and after AudioCommander was installed my headset microphone stopped working.
The software only sees the USB-SA. That it the way it is meant to function. Simply plug your headset into the USB-SA and set the USB-SA as your default Recording and Playback device in “Sound” control panel.You must also set the USB-SA as the recording device in Dragon and it to your existing profile.
NOTE: The filters are not used with Dragon. The filters are intended for applications such as Skype or Paltalk.
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I am a court reporter and use your sound card to record at work. The audio is “skipping” and was wondering if I can I some settings to prevent this from happening? I am missing parts of words or a word, not large sections at at time.
There are no settings regarding the USB-SA that would affect this. This is most likely related to a lack of processing power on your PC, or a setting in the court reporting software that is causing a stutter in the recording. Contact the software manufacturer for help with settings within the software.
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Can I use the USB-SA with a condenser mic?
The USB-SA provides sufficient power to run most headsets with electret mics (~ 2.5V), so it should work with a condenser mic, unless the condenser mic requires more than 2.5V.
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Do you have a Stereo microphone input USB sound card?
The USB-SA offers both a stereo 3.5mm microphone input, and a 3.5mm stereo speaker/headphone output.
- I have a Mac running Snow Leopard 10.5.8 and my microphone will not work… what do i need?
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I have my USB-SA attached to a USB hub and when I use the headphones I hear noise like statics in the background.
It is recommended that you plug your USB-SA directly into one of your computers USB ports as electronic noise from the other devices will cause static.
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Can I use a headset made by another manufacturer with my USB-SA adapter?
Yes,as long as the microphone has 3.5mm plugs and a mic-level input signal.
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Can I use my new Andrea headset with my old USB-SA adapter?
Yes.
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I have upgraded/switched to Windows 10 and my USB device no longer works.
With the device plugged in, go to Device Manager, click on “Sounds, game and video controllers”. Right click on “USB PnP Sound Device” and select “Uninstall”. Leaving the unit plugged in, “Restart” your computer.
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How do I request warranty service?
If your device is still not functioning after contacting the Andrea Support Team, you will be asked to submit your proof of purchase via email or fax, verifying that the product was purchased within 1 year. You will then be issued a return material authorization (RMA) number, with complete shipping instructions to return the device to our facility for evaluation. The customer is responsible for the return shipping. A traceable method such as UPS or Fed-X ground is recommended. If the device is found to be defective after evaluation at our facility, a new device will be shipped to you free of charge.
System Requirements
To topCompatible with:
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 8.1
Windows 10 and up
Apple Macintosh OS X 10.5 and up