Anyone getting good results with Windows Audio drivers?

[yul]

Please keep me honest.

I have been using ASIO4ALL forever but I need to do multiclient at the same time as my DAW.

It looks like Windows Audio is pretty good at it but not sure about the samples/latency and how it works.

How is this driver managed? In my DAW there is only one setting for sample buffer I can't even tell what latency overall it brings.

Sounds and feels OK but I wish I knew more..

[chk071]

I had much better results with ASIO4ALL, in terms of latency and performance.

Sound is the same, and depends on your audio hardware.

I'd really consider an audio interface with dedicated ASIO driver though. ASIO4ALL or Windows Audio with a WDM card is a stopgap, nothing more nothing less. The performance is better, the latency lower, and the sound is better with an audio interface. AND, chances are good that the ASIO driver even supports multi client.

[yul]

Thanks!

Asio4all does not do multi-client...

Which cards allow for this (youtube + daw at the same time) with ASIO?

[pljones]

My Zoom UAC-2 does. I'd guess all Zooms do, as it looks like it's the same driver. Not that I'd necessarily recommend one - there are plenty of better interfaces around, perhaps some for the same or lower price. (I'd like to know, if so... My AudioFire4 needs replacing when I replace my old AMD FX8350 box gets replaced.)

[Logga]

It looks like Windows Audio is pretty good at it but not sure about the samples/latency and how it works.

How is this driver managed? In my DAW there is only one setting for sample buffer I can't even tell what latency overall it brings.

Sounds and feels OK but I wish I knew more..

Windows has several audio APIs, old and new. Off top of my head three of them allow for low latency: WDM/KS (this is what Asio4all uses under the hood), WASAPI Exclusive and something related to IAudioClient3 (I've seen it called Low Latency Mode). The first two are not multiclient.
The third one is, but it has poor software and hardware support, it looks kinda experimental to me. Don't expect much in terms of stability or consistency.

So I recommend to just get a soundcard with ASIO drivers and be done with it. It's a necessary evil in Windows land.

Which cards allow for this (youtube + daw at the same time) with ASIO?

All of them, in my experience. The caveat is that you set the same sample rate across the board, otherwise it's probably not going to work.
Some even allow two ASIO apps to play at the same time, if that's something you're interested in.

[BONES]

How is this driver managed? In my DAW there is only one setting for sample buffer I can't even tell what latency overall it brings.

Sounds and feels OK but I wish I knew more..

If it "sounds and feels OK", what else matters? The numbers are just that, numbers. My Evo8 tends to assign random latency and ignore what I've set in my DAW. It used to bug the shit outta me but I can't actually tell the difference between 16 samples and 128 samples of latency when I'm working so I just don't care which random value it assigns any more. In the words of Morpehus, you have to free your mind.

My Zoom UAC-2 does. I'd guess all Zooms do, as it looks like it's the same driver. Not that I'd necessarily recommend one - there are plenty of better interfaces around, perhaps some for the same or lower price.

Really? I love my Zoom U24, it's super-low latency and the cleanest sound I've heard from any interface. It's a bit cheap and plasticky feeling but in all the ways that matter, it's rock-solid. I use the Evo8 for everyday work and on stage, because I need the extra inputs for my hardware synths, but the U24 is the only interface I'd use to record vocals. It's also the best multi-cient interface I have. I can kludge most of the others to get there but the U24 just works.

[jamcat]

Both of my PreSonus audio devices could play audio from my DAW at any samplerate at the same time as Windows Media Player, YouTube, etc. I never even knew this wasn't the way all audio devices in the modern era worked on Windows, until I got an IK Multimedia AXE. The AXE can only play multiple audio clients if they're all at the same samplerate. This is of course only an issue on Windows. The AXE plays all audio sources together on Mac OS, no problem.

[sQeetz]

I could praise how core audio on MacOS can mix and match whatever audio devices, microphones you have, but I won't. I remember ASIO4ALL also being able to do that?

[jamcat]

Yes, ASIO4ALL can do that. But apparently it can’t work with multiple audio applications at once.

[chk071]

I could praise how core audio on MacOS can mix and match whatever audio devices, microphones you have, but I won't.

The audio chips they build into mainboards aren't meant for serious audio work anyway, so why spend money and effort on an ASIO driver, when everyone serious about audio work will buy an audio interface with ASIO drivers anyway?

It's complete nonsense to build in a great audio chip into a 500 € notebook, when it's only used for Facebook and Instagram anyway.

Same holds true for Apple computers, of course. I wouldn't know what my mom wants to do with CoreAudio on her Macbook Pro either...

[Logga]

The audio chips they build into mainboards aren't meant for serious audio work anyway

They're obviously not meant for multichannel recording with XLR mics and stuff, but they could still be used for plenty of "serious work". A lot of people make electronic music and don't need any audio recording, for example.
And a good sounding DAC doesn't have to cost more than a few dollars. If you think it does, you've been fooled by marketing. Those chips are mass produced nowadays and cost very little.

I wouldn't know what my mom wants to do with CoreAudio on her Macbook Pro either...

Maybe she wants to plug in a MIDI keyboard and play some notes with low latency, without dealing with stupid exclusive modes on Windows and without having to buy an expensive recording interface.

Hell, low latency is nice to have even for non-musical tasks, like video games. Any interactive app can benefit from it. Did you know that web browsers can take MIDI input? So you can learn piano through some web-based lessons or something. But on Windows it's annoying, because browsers don't support ASIO, so you're stuck with high latency.
MacOS is just better in this department. And I say this as a Windows user.

[vstDOG]

Please keep me honest.

I have been using ASIO4ALL forever but I need to do multiclient at the same time as my DAW.

It looks like Windows Audio is pretty good at it but not sure about the samples/latency and how it works.

How is this driver managed? In my DAW there is only one setting for sample buffer I can't even tell what latency overall it brings.

Sounds and feels OK but I wish I knew more..

FlexASIO might be worth a shot:
https://github.com/dechamps/FlexASIO
Open source and in active developement for some years now...
A GUI companion for FlexASIO:
https://github.com/flipswitchingmonkey/FlexASIO_GUI
Easier to customise the driver to your own needs instead of doing that via editing the config file manually.

Hope this helps at least to some extent

[chk071]

I wouldn't know what my mom wants to do with CoreAudio on her Macbook Pro either...

Maybe she wants to plug in a MIDI keyboard and play some notes with low latency, without dealing with stupid exclusive modes on Windows and without having to buy an expensive recording interface.

No, surely not...

[sQeetz]

Same holds true for Apple computers, of course. I wouldn't know what my mom wants to do with CoreAudio on her Macbook Pro either...

Core Audio doesn't care for your mom's needs. It's just there working as it should.

[_leras]

Got to agree, if you're on this forum, you probably would benefit in some way from a dedicated sound interface.

If I'm doubt get an RME who are widely praised for excellent audio drivers, and their long term support for thier interfaces. Great output sound quality and rock solid.