Low input signal when using DirectSound

[landar]

I am using T5 on a Win 8.1 machine. My input device is an M-Audio M-Track Quad.

I can get a good input signal if I use ASIO, however this excludes the use of using any other application with audio while Tracktion is open. As such, I am using DirectSound for my audio device type. However, the input signals peak at about -23db. This make it impossible to record almost anything.

Is there any way to use DirectSound and be able to have a decent input signal? Barring that, is there any other way that I can get a good input signal using a different driver and still be able to use audio outside of Tracktion?

[jabe]

What other software do you want to use?

[landar]

Everything.

I am simultaneously recording with a digital camera.

I also need to be able to use WinAmp, Finale, Melodyne, and random other applications that have audio components.

I have a compromise I just figured out, which is using the built in ASIO for the m-track, but that has 3 drawbacks.

1) I have to audition using headphones plugged into the m-track. 2) ALL audio for Tracktion gets routed to the m-track. 3) The buffer is only 256 samples on the hardware.

[jabe]

Sounds complicated. Melodyne is fine with ASIO. There's something called ASIO4ALL, not sure if that is any use.

ASIO allows - forgotten the word here - sound in and sound out at the same time. Your standard PC soundcard doesn't. Not sure that PCs can work with both ASIO and standard soundcard at the same time. I think with DAWs one would expect to listen via the audio interface and not the PC soundcard.