Topten Software

wazza187 · Post by **wazza187** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:21 am

Hi,

I purchased Cantabile Solo, and am using it as a VST host for Superior Drummer 2. I want to drum along to mp3s from my mp3 player.

I am using it on a laptop, I have onboard sound (input/ouput)) and a Numark DJIO USB interface. The djio has no inputs (apart from a Mic input, which distorts the music) and wish I hadn't bought it, but as this is just a hobby I cant chuck it out and get something else....

So, basically, I want to plug my mp3 player into the onboard laptop 'input', mix it with the live Drums, and have the mix coming out of the USB sound card. But this seems to require selecting 2 different Audio Engines, one for output, one for input, which I cant see a way of doing.

I can have one or the other working, but cannot get both working at the same time. I cannot figure out how to have both at the same time. Is this possible?

The only option I can see is to add 'Media Files' in Cantabile, but this is very limited if I want to just jam along in real-time to a bunch of different songs skipping between them, or putting it on random.

Cheers,
Wazza.

TiUser · Post by **TiUser** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:44 am

Can't you copy your mp3's onto your pc?

You can use Cantabile's media players to play your backings and play to it at the same time. You also can use Cantabile's record features this way and record both, backing + your playing.

I also have no clue how to assign multiple ASIO programs using the same ASIO device in windows - I think it is simply not possible. Direct X may allow this but has too high latency - especially for drumming where timing is extremly essential.

wazza187 · Post by **wazza187** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:05 pm

Thanks. Im using that now but the songs skip a bit and cantabile has limited support for mpthrees.usb output is an asio driver line in is just the soundmax onboard input. Is there a way of specifying a different audio engine per rack. I should be able to do this with my ipoed and the line in. Thanks ps spent thirty mins trying to get original post past the filter

wazza187 · Post by **wazza187** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:08 am

it seems this forum wont let you use the word 1pod, so knowing that, I can make a post that makes a bit more sense.

It seems its quite normal that DAWs can only access one audio interface at a time, and the general consensus is that the only way to acheive this functionality would be to use ASIO4ALL and try to combine the two devices to be accessed via the one driver.

Cheers for all the help.

TiUser · Post by **TiUser** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:27 am

...right, that's Windows... I've seen Linux based stuff that works different in that regard, but first Cantabile isn't available for Linux and second I for my person can't compile and put the proper kernel komponents together to make that happen...

Not sure if your idea with ASIO4All works... let me know if it does.

If you don't mind the latency you always can use another soundcard with DirectX in parallel... but I know, that's not great... To me using the mediaplayer in Canabile seems to be the easiest workaround.

What do you mean by "songs skip a bit"? Selecting another song to jam with?

wazza187 · Post by **wazza187** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:55 am

had to edit my first reply so much before i found 1pod was preventing it from being posted, that it no longer made sense...

so,

TiUser wrote: I also have no clue how to assign multiple ASIO programs using the same ASIO device in windows - I think it is simply not possible. Direct X may allow this but has too high latency - especially for drumming where timing is extremly essential.

Ok, this is NOT what I'm trying to do. I don't want multiple programs accessing the one ASIO device. I want 1 instance of Catabile to access Multiple Audio Devices.

i.e:
* Rack 1 accesses the Outputs on my USB sound card.
* Rack 2 access the inputs on my SoundMax onboard sound card - and pipes the data to Rack 1.

TiUser wrote: If you don't mind the latency you always can use another soundcard with DirectX in parallel... but I know, that's not great... To me using the mediaplayer in Canabile seems to be the easiest workaround.

This quote threw me a bit. Are you saying that I CAN use multiple sound cards in parallel in Cantabile? or in another App?... this seems to be what I want to do.
As far as latency, I want low latency on my USB output (so my drums are real time) but I dont care if my 1Pod is lagging, as I will play to what I hear...

Sorry if I'm not making too much sense... I'm a hobby drummer, and not familar with DAWs etc.

TiUser · Post by **TiUser** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:06 am

I see, think I misunderstood.

"...in parallel..." referred to different applications.

As far as I know Cantabile (and other hosts) access just one ASIO device. So I guess right now it's not possible to do what you want.

But under the hood of Cantabile there is a master bus configuration system.

If your usb audio has more than 2 outs you can probably route the playback to another pair.

I think indeed you should post your question to Topten Software as this would be a handy feature.

wazza187 · Post by **wazza187** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:15 am

Cool, thanks for your help.
I got an email from them today, looks like their suggestion is to use ASIO4ALL to combine the inputs of one device with the outputs of another device, then reference this uber driver from cantabile.
I'll see if it works tonight...
again, thanks for all the help.
I did a quick search for DAWs that can access multiple sound cards, and couldn't find any, so it's either the norm, not possible, or no one that uses DAWs properly want that feature

wazza187 · Post by **wazza187** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:48 pm

Got it 'working' with ASIO4ALL, but its popping and choppy all over the place, and generally a bit iffy.
I think realistically, I should shell out for an external soundcard with proper inputs, rather than this piece of crap Numark DJIO with no I... it only has a Mic passthru... don't know why it was so expensive, 100euro! I used to have a Echo Audiofire which was half the price and twice the product, oh well, never again.

TiUser · Post by **TiUser** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 7:06 pm

Before you shell out money for more gear, just check some things first...

Which buffer size did you set up in ASIO4all?
Start with 1024samples and reduce until you get crackles.

Try to disable energy saver options on your PC.

Finally, as far as I understand you loop audio in and out via Cantabile which is a more demanding procedure than just output - referring to the audio interface activities...

Maybe you can describe that a little closer, I am curious...

Topten Software

KVR Audio

Input from onboard soundcard, output to USB soundcard - Multiple Audio Interfaces