Technical (audio) problem. I need help! (please)

[Spring Goose]

Does anybody know anything about ASIO4ALL ?

[Spring Goose]

Does anybody know anything about ASIO4ALL ?

Don't worry. I took the plunge but ASIO4ALL doesn't fix the problem. I'll try my M-Audio tomorrow.

[Unaspected]

I forgot to mention: My audio interface is a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd gen.

Though I never owned a Scarlett, I'd be surprised if your audio interface can't do this. I've owned three Focusrite audio interfaces and they all had no issue running audio from multiple programs simultaneously.

I presume you have the Scarlett set up as the default playback device (Settings > Devices > Sound Settings) and that the sample rate is the same in your DAW as your OS.

[Googly Smythe]

Hello.

I'm having a problem which I think should be fixed in the Windows settings but I don't know how:

When I'm using my DAW, if I touch (put focus to) another window for example Mixed In Key for example the default Windows internet browser then my DAW audio engine and playback stop. It resume when I touch (put focus back to) the DAW.
This wasn't a problem until I want to automate a VST instrument which opens a 2nd window for its interface. I'm not giving the name of the instrument, to protect the innocent!

My old computer didn't do this.
My new computer do this and has always do this since I had it.
I'm using Windows 10 on a decent enough spec computer. The problem isn't the spec of the computer I think.

I've tried with Reason 10.4 and with Maschine 2.9.2 and the same thing happens.
I've tried with Ableton Lite and the DAW playback engine doesn't stop when I touch for example Mixed In Key or for example the default Windows internet browser, but nonetheless it breaks when I try doing automation. Actually it doesn't even bounce correctly with Ableton Lite or Maschine. For example 4 quarter notes 1 2 3 4 on the downbeat, it only records the first note then a nasty noise.
In Reason it record all 4 notes but they sound different than was playback. (for example filter or unison are not correct).

Thankyou very much. I ask here first because I thought people on this forum enjoy being helpful and resolving technical problems. If nobody can help me here then I'll ask the developer of the instrument. Once again: Thanks!!

There is a setting in the sound settings dialog that toggles exclusive access to the audio hardware. Maybe check that it's, um, checked. Otherwise programs hand over control to Windows when they lose focus.

[mcbpete]

I'd also check if the sample rate of Windows is the same as Ableton and Reason (and whatever else you're running). Sometimes an audio device goes a bit wacky when it changes sample rate 'on the fly' when just alt-tabbing between apps.

[Spring Goose]

Thanks everybody for your help.

I presume you have the Scarlett set up as the default playback device (Settings > Devices > Sound Settings) and that the sample rate is the same in your DAW as your OS.

Yes, yes

There is a setting in the sound settings dialog that toggles exclusive access to the audio hardware. Maybe check that it's, um, checked. Otherwise programs hand over control to Windows when they lose focus.

Ok i unchecked "Exclusive Mode, Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" but that didn't fix the problem.

Then i was looking at Preferences in/of Reason, and i checked a box "Play in background" which was unchecked. This solved the problem of the focus (now i touch the internet browser, and the Reason audio continues playing) but alas the audio still breaks up when I try to automate the instrument. I can now play (and presumably record) my keyboard whilst having touched the 2nd open window of the instrument which is an improvement.
One other piece of information: I'm using Komplete Kontrol (software, VST) for the doing of the automation with the pots of my Komplete Kontrol (keyboard). Komplete Kontrol hosts the instrument.

Anyway that's it for today. I'll have to look at it again more thoroughly tomorrow.

I'd also check if the sample rate of Windows is the same as Ableton and Reason (and whatever else you're running). Sometimes an audio device goes a bit wacky when it changes sample rate 'on the fly' when just alt-tabbing between apps.

I think it is. I'll check properly tomorrow. I don't alt-tab, i'm not that advanced at computers!


Oh one other thing i noticed before i checked the "play in background" is that WAVELAB (Elements 9) didn't have the problem of playback stopping when I clicked the internet browser.

[UltimateOutsider]

OP your best bet is to make sure you are NOT using your audio interface as your computer's audio playback device. (In the Sound control panel, make sure your computer's built-in audio is selected as default for playback/recording.) Then only use one ASIO-based application per ASIO interface at a time (DAW, plugin host, etc).

Asio4All is a band-aid, not a solution- and I feel for most cases it's more trouble than it's worth.

Also, regarding which audio interfaces sound best... a few years ago I recorded the same audio into a variety of different interfaces to see if there was in fact any difference in audio quality between prosumer brands. They sounded more or less the same, in a price range between $100-$2,300 USD. Not identical, but it's not at all a matter of "this more expensive interface sounds better than this inexpensive one." The differences are very subtle and IMHO a matter of taste. You can check out a couple of the playlists here (all tracks level-adjusted to rule out volume bias).

When shopping for interfaces, I base my purchasing decisions on number and type of I/O, features, and when it's possible to find reliable numbers, ASIO performance. (RME rules here, at least for Windows.)

https://soundcloud.com/ultimateoutsider ... line-level
https://soundcloud.com/ultimateoutsider ... line-level

[Spring Goose]

OP your best bet is to make sure you are NOT using your audio interface as your computer's audio playback device. (In the Sound control panel, make sure your computer's built-in audio is selected as default for playback/recording.) Then only use one ASIO-based application per ASIO interface at a time (DAW, plugin host, etc).

I'm using a synth/instrument (VSTi) which opens a 2ND window outside of the usual VST window.

But actually i'm using the synth/instrument hosted in another VSTi (Komplete Kontrol), but I don't think that makes any difference.

[Spring Goose]

My subjective opinion is this: The Scarlett sounds MUCH better than the M-Audio ! I swear I thought that the M-Audio sound is (somewhat) painful to my ears.

[Spring Goose]

And my Traktor Kontrol S2 sounds noisy or possibly distorted, i'm no expert.

Thanks for your reply.

[Spring Goose]

Although I must also say I was thinking about buying a Maschine after I heard the audio examples for the Komplete 12 software (many of the example songs' notes said "drums from Maschine"). I don't know if the examples are using Maschine's audio interface.

But I decided on a Maschine Jam when something I read said "Maschine Jam is actually better for techno than Maschine", but I don't know about that yet, though I am quite adept at using the Maschine software (can I call it a DAW?) (with the mouse I mean).

[Spring Goose]

Would I be better off buying a Maschine than buying a NI audio interface? "probably" I thought. Assuming the Maschine ASIO drivers are (presumably) "multi-client". Because I do very much enjoy the Maschine software, except drawing automation is a bit of a pain.

Does anybody know if the UAD has multi-client ASIO drivers? Sorry for repeating myself, I weren't sure if you missed that. I'd never heard of RME but I had heard of UAD.

Earlier I had a long reply prepared about the RME, but then it got deleted accidentally, but I had managed to take a quick screenshot of part of it. "presumably the Babyface is the RME equivalent to the Scarlett" I said. "I think it looks expensive and it has a lot of things I won't use. My speakers are 1/4 inch (balanced) jack, not XLR. Why do I need 192Khz? I mean I wouldn't use more than 44.1Khz. I don't do recording. I only use the D/A, the headphone socket, and TRS jack output to my speakers. Would the sound of my headphones significantly improve (more accurate/true I mean)?" i said. "What could or would I use of the RME Babyface Pro FS?" I said. (these aren't rhetorical questions) "Would I decide to use the equipment differently because I have it?" I said.

[Unaspected]

I would spend a little more time addressing this in software before spending more money on hardware that you probably don't need.

If you have a VSTi opening in its own window, does it have a menu for selecting audio preferences? If so, these need to match every other application.

Other than sample rates, I also assume that you have the exact same driver selected for all applications - OS, DAW and VSTis.

Your posts suggest that you seem to have various drivers installed so it might be time to give your system a little clean. Get rid of drivers that you no longer use, download the latest ASIO drivers for your device, install and use them.

[Spring Goose]

I would spend a little more time addressing this in software before spending more money on hardware that you probably don't need.

If you have a VSTi opening in its own window, does it have a menu for selecting audio preferences? If so, these need to match every other application.

Other than sample rates, I also assume that you have the exact same driver selected for all applications - OS, DAW and VSTis.

Your posts suggest that you seem to have various drivers installed so it might be time to give your system a little clean. Get rid of drivers that you no longer use, download the latest ASIO drivers for your device, install and use them.

Ok i unchecked "Exclusive Mode, Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" but that didn't fix the problem.

Then i was looking at Preferences in/of Reason, and i checked a box "Play in background" which was unchecked. This solved the problem of the focus (now i touch the internet browser, and the Reason audio continues playing)

Hi, thanks for your reply.

I solved the problem of the focus. I'm upto date with latest ASIO drivers. I uninstalled ASIO 4 ALL which I only tried for a remedy to the problem.


The problem i'm having with the automation seems to be a problem of the instrument i'm using, and thus i'm contacting the developer.

[Spring Goose]

If you have a VSTi opening in its own window, does it have a menu for selecting audio preferences? If so, these need to match every other application.

No it doesn't have.