Dreading sounding like a newb here but.. about latency and ASIO4ALL hijacking all sound...

[wee_gerri]

Hi all,
I've been recording and sound engineering for many years but have an, almost, nutty professor reputation because of the fact that I have Aspergers and because of my understanding of the art being more prominent than my understanding of the science...
So, please bare with me.
Now, while I know that no computer truly multi-tasks, current computers only appear to and have done for quite some time, that is one of their biggest attractions despite it being taken for granted these days.

Now. ASIO4ALL. I use it a lot, because it is the best latency killer I know but there is one thing that still puzzles me. In this day and age of apparent multi-tasking, when you can play several MPG files (with sound) simultaneously with no apparent delay issues, why does ASIO4ALL seem to completely hijack the sound-card from, literally, every other piece of software running?

Often I am working on a cover or an original tune with references from an existing tune. It would be so handy to be able to refer back to my browser, listen to a portion of a YouTube video which relates to what I am working on, then click back on the tab for my DAW and fill in a section of sequence/lyrics or whatever but, of course, when using ASIO4ALL, I can't hear the sound from the browser. I would have to shut down the DAW, refresh the YouTube page, listen to the video, then close my browser, re-run my DAW from scratch, load the project back in and then I can hear the DAW but, of course, the browser would be muted again...!

I personally find it frustrating that, when using ASIO4ALL, the sound only works on my DAW and nothing else. Surely I'm not alone but, at the same time, I am sure there is a valid reason why this frustrating situation occurs.

Can anyone please enlighten me?

[arkmabat]

You get the lower latency... That's the trade-off. Buy the song and load it into a sampler inside your daw for reference.

[jancivil]

ASIO works with one client at a time. within a particular piece of software that interfaces with an ASIO driver, you may have the option of 'release driver in background'. I don't know if ASIO4ALL provides for this. google is your friend here.

[BertKoor]

why does ASIO4ALL seem to completely hijack the sound-card from, literally, every other piece of software running?

Because it bypasses all the software layers that audio usually comes through, being mainly the Windows Mixer. That is basically how it can achieve low latency.

[nix808]

Hey Jan-
there are actually multi-client sound cards. They are shakier when running multiple apps, but they do stream from multiple apps. I have this in Virus TI, and not in Echo Layla.
Cheers

[VariKusBrainZ]

Hey Jan-
there are actually multi-client sound cards. They are shakier when running multiple apps, but they do stream from multiple apps. I have this in Virus TI, and not in Echo Layla.
Cheers

Maybe if you buy something cheap like the Echo Layla or youre using old drivers for an old unsupported model.

Nothing shakey about RME soundcards.
Even my ancient Creamware Pulsar can handle multiple apps without a glitch.

[piel]

I think it is affecting only ASIO4ALL devices. The reason behind this unwanted effect is probably that the driver actually uses the WDM driver and probably locks it to provide stable low latency and exclusive access.
In my experience all soundcards with their own ASIO drivers handle well the use of the hardware by the WDM and ASIO at the same time.
You have 3 choices:
- switch the daw to WDM and lose the low latency
- get an extra soundcard or one with proper asio
- buy the song and load it up in a sampler or as an audio track as someone recommended already.

I think the last choice is the cheapest and best.

[jancivil]

Hey Jan-
there are actually multi-client sound cards. They are shakier when running multiple apps, but they do stream from multiple apps. I have this in Virus TI, and not in Echo Layla.
Cheers

to be more precise:

ASIO (Audio Streaming Input Output) is a technology of Steinberg.
It allows for low latencies and pretty much every state-of-the-art audio device is nowadays delivered with an ASIO driver (on Windows, at least). However, the basic idea behind ASIO is that professional audio applications entirely take ownership of the ASIO device. Only very few ASIO drivers support true multiple application access.

This effectively means that you can not use 2 or more applications using the same ASIO device at the same time.

The ASIO Multiclient wrapper overcomes this problem by providing a 'proxy' ASIO driver (the ASIO client), several of which can connect to the one ASIO Server, which in turn 'speaks' to the target ASIO device (driver). The server mixes the output streams of all applications, and provides that mix to the target device.

- by Steinberg Service » Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:52 pm

http://www.steinberg.net/forums/viewtop ... 39f0820441

[jancivil]

OTOH, I just heard iTunes and Cubase simultaneously through my RME card under Core Audio.

[piel]

OTOH, I just heard iTunes and Cubase simultaneously through my RME card under Core Audio.

I reckon you're on mac... I think you should not confuse the OP with another systems audio. (Even if your advices make sense)
An RME card would work on windows as the OP would want it.
Since he uses ASIO4ALL i have to think that he does not have a professional audio interface whatever the reason might be, otherwise he would not need A4A.

[jancivil]

to make matters worse, Cubase says 'ASIO Driver' per RME Multiface. I would assume that Cubase and a windows player do the same thing on Windows as what I did here using an RME card.

I think there are applications that are going to be problematic or impossible using ASIO4All. the OP can google this just as I can.

[RunBeerRun]

http://midithru.net/Home/AsioLink -This is the only workaround for Asioall and the onboard soundcard, it allows all windows sounds to either enter your asio daw and record, or just be heard in the daw but not record (can also route asio audio into windows for recording in other programs at once.

There's virtual audio cable, but that doesn't work with ASIO.

[whyterabbyt]

Now, while I know that no computer truly multi-tasks

FWIW, multi-core and multi-processor systems do.