E-MU 1616m, 1212m, 1820m, 0404 Audio Interface - Complete Windows 10 (1903 & Above) Installation Guide

[planetearth]

Thanks for a reply, planetearth.

For testing in REAPER, I'm simply launching, checking the ASIO driver is selected in device preferences, then importing a .wav file, and playing it on a track. No plug-ins are involved. I should post a sound clip of what I'm hearing.

And just to be clear, I only have an issue with noise when using the E-MU ASIO driver. I can select "WaveOut" inside REAPER and it plays fine. I can also play a .wav file through Patchmix outside the DAW with a media player like VLC and it works fine.

In order to see if i can get the E-MU ASIO driver to work, next thing I wanted to try is clearing whatever I installed, then do what eq1 suggests above, which is to use the E-MU installer for drivers and Patchmix and then just place ctasio.dll, ctasio64.dll, and ctoss2k.sys in the appropriate folders.

A sound clip might help, yes. And Revo Uninstaller and Glary Utilities could still help you here, if you're uninstalling the E-MU drivers and PatchMix. Of the two, Revo would help you a bit more in this situation. If you're going to try it, just make sure you don't install the "Revo Helper", if you see it. (They no longer seem to ask you to install it, so you probably won't see it. All it did was monitor installations to do a slightly more thorough job of uninstalling them. But it wasn't necessary.)

For what it's worth, you don't have any other built-in audio devices enabled do you? If so, you might want to disable the motherboard's built-in sound chip in the BIOS, and disable any other audio devices in Windows' Device Manager. (Some video cards have built-in audio chips.)

Disabling on-board audio in the computer's BIOS keeps Windows from loading anything or reserving any resources for it, and cuts down on resource use and bizarre problems (kinda like this). Once the on-board Realtek chip is disabled in BIOS, you can remove it completely from Device Manager. If you decide to re-enable it in the BIOS, Windows will put it right back where it was in Device Manager. But it might help you troubleshoot the issue.

Steve

[Aero312]

Sound clip: https://drive.google.com/file/d/154OOc- ... Kfwi1/view

So that you can hear what I'm hearing when using the E-MU ASIO driver, this is recorded with a cable out of the 1616m headphone jack to another PC that also runs REAPER. It's not possible to record on the problematic PC at all due to excessive noise while recording (it's worse than what you hear in this .mp3 file). This is just a .wav file imported onto a track, no plug-ins at all, and then played using E-MU ASIO driver.

This is with the internal built-in computer sound disabled in BIOS, which did nothing to solve the issue.

Remember, this noise does not occur in REAPER if I select "WaveOut" instead of ASIO, which suggests this is not a hardware problem but one with the ASIO driver.

[Aero312]

Went back to trying to troubleshoot this.

Uninstalled Patchmix and E-MU drivers completely using Revo uninstaller. It still left 4 Creative Technology files in my Windows System32 folder, which I deleted, most likely because these are not part of the actual program but were in the installer package on Pg. 1:

CTASIO64.dll
ctdpxy64.dll
CTMLFX64.dll
ctosur64.dll

I also ran Windows update and also a command tool, sfc /scannow, in the event that something was missing or broken from my W10 build. I also turned off Windows Defender and Firewall. Built-in soundcard is disabled in BIOS and does not appear in Device Manager. Inside my DAW (REAPER) I am simply importing a .wav file onto a track and playing it with the E-MU ASIO driver selected. No plug-ins of any kind are being used.

So now, I'm following the advice above to just use the Creative Technology installer for drivers (not the installer on Pg. 1) and the Patchmix app and then manually update/replace 3 files: CTOSS2K.sys, CTASIO.dll, and CTASIO64.dll.

I first ran EmuPMX_PCDrv_US_2_30_00, which I got from the Creative Website (this is NOT the BETA version).
After restart, Device Manager shows the soundcard with Creative driver installed. No errors.
CTASIO.dll is installed in both System32 and SysWOW64 folders
CTOSS2K.sys is installed in System32 > drivers folder
(and of course there is no CTASIO64.dll installed)

I then installed Patchmix, EmuPMX_PCApp_US_2_20_00

Does it work like this with no further changes to drivers or files?
--No, pop up dialog box: "PatchMix DSP Error! You don't appear to have sufficient E-MU hardware to load the session on your system. This may be because the session expects more E-MU hardware than what you have installed on your system. You may continue limited editing of this Patchmix DSP Session but you may not hear audio as expected."

Placed the CTASIO64.dll driver into the System32 folder and restarted.
--Same dialog box and no sound at all.

Modified registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, right-click AsioThk32Reg and choose Modify. Change CTASIO.DLL to CTASIO64.DLL then restarted.
--Still no sound inside or outside of REAPER.
Changed this back (to reflect old computer registry, which did not have this change).

The following made Patchmix work:
In safe mode, deleted the installed CTOSS2K.sys file in System32 > drivers, then copy and pasted new CTOSS2K.sys file
Now, no error in Patchmix when launched. So looks like it's important to swap this file. I am leaving this version in place.
Can I get sound? Outside of REAPER with VLC media player: YES.
BUT, Sound inside REAPER with E-MU ASIO driver? Same exact noise problem you hear in audio clip in my prior post.

Again tried the same registry change above. No fix. Still same noise. Changed registry entry back to CTASIO.

Deleted the CTASIO64.dll driver in System32 folder.
Patchmix loaded with no error. Can play a .wav file with no issue outside of REAPER.
Inside REAPER, still same noise present with E-MU ASIO driver selected.
--Note: I'm playing the file without the CTASIO64.dll driver installed and I'm getting sound but with the noise still present. But I put it back because it was present on my old PC.

Other two registry changes (these were not present on my old PC):
HKLM/software/ASIO/E-MU ASIO, under "Data" change CTASIO to CTASIO64
HKLM/software/WOW6432Node/ASIO/E-MU ASIO, under "Data" change CTASIO to CTASIO64
Restarted. Launched Patchmix after turning on Microdock.
Launched REAPER. Immediate error: "CTASIO Warning. The Creative ASIO devices have changed. You may need to restart this program before using Creative ASIO devices."
Inserting a track with a media file on it plays exactly the same way with the same noise, i.e., made no difference. Changed these two registry keys back to avoid the error.

Can I delete the CTASIO.dll driver, which installs in both the Windows System32 folder and the Windows SysWOW64 folder?
Deleted from System32: Error launching REAPER: "There was an error opening the audio hardware. Error loading ASIO driver." I restored the file to this folder.
Deleted from SysWOW64: No error launching REAPER. With E-MU ASIO selected same exact noise as before. It installs here but if you delete it from here it makes no difference.

Note at this point I tried using a portable install of REAPER to make sure I had no setting interfering with ASIO drivers. It made no difference.



So in summary:
1. I can do the clean install, albeit with same exact issue happening with the E-MU ASIO driver.

2. Very important to use the CTOSS2K.dll that eq1 provides at the REAPER forum link or Patchmix will not work (if you install only using Creative Technology software).

3. Suggested registry changes have no effect with noise encountered using E-MU ASIO driver.

4. I can even delete the CTASIO64.dll driver and play a .wav file in REAPER, but there's that noise. Does that suggest REAPER is not even using the 64-bit driver? I think that's impossible.

5. I cannot delete the CTASIO.dll driver from System32, but I can delete it from SysWOW64 and select the E-MU ASIO driver in REAPER, but there is still the noise. This is the CTASIO.dll that installs from the Creative software and not a replacement.

Anybody see from above what might be happening to interfere with ASIO drivers?

Maybe the problem is just what I'm hearing while monitoring through headphones when selecting ASIO output?

I thought it was logical to conclude above this is not a hardware problem, but is there any reason to try using a different PCIe slot given I'm having an issue with an ASIO driver? I would think if this was a hardware issue I would get noise even when using WaveOut and DirectSound in REAPER, but those settings work fine.

[Aero312]

Some progress today.

I discovered in REAPER Preferences > Device, when using the E-MU ASIO driver, if I uncheck "Enable inputs" the noise I'm hearing goes away during playback.

If I enable inputs for recording, I can only select one pair at a time: ASIO 1/2, ASIO 3/4, ASIO 4/5, etc., and I can successfully record and playback with the E-MU ASIO driver. If I try to enable inputs beyond only one pair I get the noise again. For example, I can't select first: 1 and last: 4, which would allow me to use the two mic inputs of the Microdock at the same time. It suggests either REAPER can't listen to all available inputs at the same time (only one pair at a time) or it suggests REAPER is listening to all available inputs at the same time whether I've selected them for input or not. It could also be a problem with how REAPER is communicating with Patchmix, but the current routing configuration I'm using on Patchmix was working fine with REAPER on my old Windows 10 PC, and I could select "ASIO in 32" as last input with no issues.




I again thought maybe it was because I'm not using the CTASIO64.dll file. I pasted it into the Windows System32 folder again, but it made no difference. And BTW, I ran sigcheck (sysinternals command) on the CTASIO.dll, CTASIO64.dll, and CTOSS2K.sys files, and they are all 64-bit.

[eq1]

Seems like once you get CTASIO64 installed properly, you wouldn't need or the system wouldn't or shouldn't be using CTASIO anymore. There's some steps in your process that make it seem like you've got some conflicting stuff going on there. But, overall I doubt CTASIO vs. CTASIO64 is your problem - since I've used CTASIO myself and never heard your noise. I replaced CTASIO with the 64 and that solved a different problem...

Did you ever try what I wrote in my last post? Doesn't seem like you're understanding some fundamental issues regarding the interaction of the dock, Patchmix, and the OS. Like that error message you get about not having system resources - that's just something you get if the dock isn't properly activated and PatchMix has a session loaded that needs the dock (like mic inputs). The dock has to be activated/registered first, and then PatchMix can load properly, you won't get that error message. The fact that you DID see that error message suggests the dock wasn't loading properly - and that's something that happens as a matter of course (at least for me), if PatchMix is loading before the dock has loaded...

But, PathMix loads automatically - unless you disable the thing I mentioned earlier, in startup apps.

Basically, disable that startup thing. Restart computer - with dock turned off. Once OS loads, turn dock on. You should see !full LED panel lights, and then they'll turn off when it's booted. Now you can start PatchMix.

This is the order of operations needed - with an appropriate installation of the E-MU driver package and PatchMix. I don't know what state your machine is in at this point. You've gone back and forth between and among things, you might have a gimpy install of both CTASIO and CTASIO64, for instance...

[eq1]

If I enable inputs for recording, I can only select one pair at a time: ASIO 1/2, ASIO 3/4, ASIO 4/5, etc., and...

This also suggests an issue with the dock loading improperly: maybe you have only 2 possible inputs - because that's all the PCI card can have by itself? The 'system'/Reaper doesn't see the dock at all...

There seems to be something tricky about the way the dock needs to interact with the computer/OS. It's not cut and dried, and it's always been finnicky.

edit: Well, that's interesting. I haven't actually tried opening PatchMix FIRST and then turning the dock ON in ages - because it never used to work, like on Windows 7. But I just did that and it did work! So that's an improvement since my W7 machine... I did get that error warning message, but when I turned dock on - it just turned on, everything's fine. It used to just hang there and not start - I'd have to close PatchMix, turn dock ON, then reopen PatchMix.

[eq1]

hmm, just listened to your noise. Doesn't really sound like any 'digital' glitchiness I've ever heard, like due to buffer settings or what-not. Hard to tell though. I mean, it sounds like analog distortion - it's kind of a long, oscillating thing, not an abrupt drop-out, click, pop, or crackle, or series of clicks, pops, crackles, etc... Not suggesting it is analog, like hardware-based. I'm sure you can get cyclical distortion like that due to digital processing that's not right...

[eq1]

I first ran EmuPMX_PCDrv_US_2_30_00, which I got from the Creative Website (this is NOT the BETA version).

'Technically', since the beta file readme explicitly says it works for PCI, and you're on PCI, and since most people have had success with the beta, you should probably be sticking with the beta - unless you are specifically testing that one change, using the non-beta instead of the beta. But you make multiple changes in your testing procedures, so it's hard to isolate the impact of only one change - you'll never know if the non-beta made any difference because you change other things at the same time.

After restart, Device Manager shows the soundcard with Creative driver installed. No errors.
CTASIO.dll is installed in both System32 and SysWOW64 folders
CTOSS2K.sys is installed in System32 > drivers folder
(and of course there is no CTASIO64.dll installed)
I then installed Patchmix, EmuPMX_PCApp_US_2_20_00

I swapped-in ctoss2k before finishing the driver install and installing PatchMix. IE. Install drivers with executable, replace CTOSS2K with ctoss2k (new one), restart, install PatchMix.

Does it work like this with no further changes to drivers or files?
--No, pop up dialog box: "PatchMix DSP Error! You don't appear..."

As mentioned, that could just be a starting sequence thing, the error message alone doesn't indicate that it's not working. If you restarted computer with dock OFF, then turned dock ON, then PatchMix, started reaper, imported your file - and got the same noise - that would mean it didn't work...

Placed the CTASIO64.dll driver into the System32 folder and restarted.
--Same dialog box and no sound at all.

That in itself wouldn't fix anything, but you probably know that...

Modified registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, right-click AsioThk32Reg and choose Modify. Change CTASIO.DLL to CTASIO64.DLL then restarted.
--Still no sound inside or outside of REAPER.
Changed this back (to reflect old computer registry, which did not have this change).

As mentioned, CTASIO vs. CTASIO64 is probably a red herring in this context, but I did have a bad issue that CTASIO64 patently fixed. So probably best to go with 64.

I don't think I ever saw it mentioned where CTASIO64 is supposed to be placed; I think I just saw that CTASIO was in the two folders and so put CTASIO64 in both of those as well. I never removed CTASIO.

The above registry change is the critical one - that happens at startup and is responsible for loading ASIO properly probably vis-a-vis soundcard AND dock. I think it was a mistake to make the change but then change it back.

The following made Patchmix work:
In safe mode, deleted the installed CTOSS2K.sys file in System32 > drivers, then copy and pasted new CTOSS2K.sys file
Now, no error in Patchmix when launched. So looks like it's important to swap this file. I am leaving this version in place.
Can I get sound? Outside of REAPER with VLC media player: YES.
BUT, Sound inside REAPER with E-MU ASIO driver? Same exact noise problem you hear in audio clip in my prior post.

As mentioned, I did this earlier in the process, but I doubt it matters, i.e. what you do here is probably perfectly comparable/acceptable.

Again tried the same registry change above. No fix. Still same noise. Changed registry entry back to CTASIO.

OK. Probably a good step/test...

Deleted the CTASIO64.dll driver in System32 folder.
Patchmix loaded with no error. Can play a .wav file with no issue outside of REAPER.
Inside REAPER, still same noise present with E-MU ASIO driver selected.
--Note: I'm playing the file without the CTASIO64.dll driver installed and I'm getting sound but with the noise still present. But I put it back because it was present on my old PC.

Sounds like you're saying you're still on CTASIO without the 64 file in the folder, but then you put the file back in the folder? If this is the case, I don't think it makes a difference, not with the registry referencing CTASIO...

Other two registry changes (these were not present on my old PC):
HKLM/software/ASIO/E-MU ASIO, under "Data" change CTASIO to CTASIO64
HKLM/software/WOW6432Node/ASIO/E-MU ASIO, under "Data" change CTASIO to CTASIO64
Restarted. Launched Patchmix after turning on Microdock.

This seems problematic if this is all you did at this juncture: You make these two additional registry changes that reference CTASIO64, but CTASIO is loading at startup - unless you also made that other registry change... Maybe that's what you meant above, you "put it back" means you reinstalled it, made that registry change...

Launched REAPER. Immediate error: "CTASIO Warning. The Creative ASIO devices have changed. You may need to restart this program before using Creative ASIO devices."
Inserting a track with a media file on it plays exactly the same way with the same noise, i.e., made no difference. Changed these two registry keys back to avoid the error.

I don't think this error message alone indicates failure, as I got that message when I first made the change to 64, but it just went away after restarting reaper or something like that. But again, at this point CTASIO is loading at startup unless you also made that registry change; if you didn't, you have conflicting ASIO going on, both 64 and 32... Not that I think this is the source of your noise problem...

Can I delete the CTASIO.dll driver, which installs in both the Windows System32 folder and the Windows SysWOW64 folder?
Deleted from System32: Error launching REAPER: "There was an error opening the audio hardware. Error loading ASIO driver." I restored the file to this folder.
Deleted from SysWOW64: No error launching REAPER. With E-MU ASIO selected same exact noise as before. It installs here but if you delete it from here it makes no difference.

This step doesn't really make sense - at this point your ASIO system is relying on CTASIO, so if you try to delete those files you're bound to have problems...

Note at this point I tried using a portable install of REAPER to make sure I had no setting interfering with ASIO drivers. It made no difference.

Probably a good step in general, but in this sequence it shouldn't matter...

I thought it was logical to conclude above this is not a hardware problem, but is there any reason to try using a different PCIe slot given I'm having an issue with an ASIO driver? I would think if this was a hardware issue I would get noise even when using WaveOut and DirectSound in REAPER, but those settings work fine.

You're having what's likely an ASIO issue, but I don't think you can say it's the driver itself (sure, it's likely the driver or E-MU drivers in general, as they're not updated for Windows 10+, but we know that, and we know they can work, so...). I think you need to do everything again, same PCI slot, use the beta package, and do it exactly like I described: Load the install package, swap-in ctoss2k, dock OFF, restart, install PatchMix, disable that Creative startup app, restart (dock off), start dock, start PatchMix, start reaper, do your test. If this doesn't work, do the full conversion to CTASIO64 - place the file int hose two folder, make three registry changes, restart (dock OFF), etc. Do your test. If this doesn't work, then I have no clue. Then I might try, say, the other driver package? Another PCI slot? Maybe I'd keep the dock out of the equation and just work with the card audio, see if you can get that to work with ASIO on its own, in reaper?...

[Aero312]

Thanks eq1 for more suggestions. I'm actually getting somewhere on this now that I can use the E-MU ASIO driver in my DAW, but just not exactly as I had been on my old Windows 10 PC.

The deleting/restoring of the 3 files as outlined in the details of my troubleshooting was for the sake of my own understanding of what those files appear to be doing for the software, which is not explained anywhere.

I indeed understand the resources not available error issue if you do not turn on the Microdock before Patchmix is launched, and I also disabled E-MU startups so that I can first turn on the Microdock and then launch Patchmix. This is no longer an issue.

If REAPER did not see the dock at all, I would not be able to even use WaveOut or Direct Sound drivers to play an imported .wav file onto a track. I would not be able to select even one pair of inputs while using the E-MU ASIO driver.

I also saw in the manual for the 1616m: "Try selecting 'Restore Defaults' on the Patchmix taskbar options. Always try this option first if Patchmix is crashing or if you are having any other strange audio problems." Haven't tried that.

And yes I was going to give one more try to the BETA version of EmuPMX_PCDrv_US_2_30_00 to see if it corrects the issue, but I doubt it because that's what I initially did, albeit using the installer package on Pg. 1. I believe above you said somewhere that you were not using the BETA version, so I gave that a try. Initial install of the non-BETA version did not yield any significant difference with my issue. Hence I began making other changes one at a time and checking to see if issue went away, and it did not, until today when I discovered how disabling the input in REAPER device preferences while still using the E-MU ASIO driver made the noise go away during playback.

eq1 wrote: "Install drivers with executable, replace CTOSS2K with ctoss2k (new one), restart, install PatchMix." The CTOSS2k.sys file needs to be replaced. How do you install the new .sys file as an "executable?"

[eq1]

The deleting/restoring of the 3 files as outlined in the details of my troubleshooting was for the sake of my own understanding of what those files appear to be doing for the software, which is not explained anywhere.

Yeah I figured that. I guess my main gripe was that you might be drawing the wrong conclusions in places and then proceeding as if it were the right or only conclusion. Like the 'lack of resources error' being a sign that it doesn't work. Or doing the two ASIO64 registry tweaks without doing the first one (at this point I assume I just misunderstood what you were saying, that you were trying the whole asio64 package again)...

I indeed understand the resources not available error issue if you do not turn on the Microdock before Patchmix is launched, and I also disabled E-MU startups so that I can first turn on the Microdock and then launch Patchmix. This is no longer an issue.

OK, that's good...

If REAPER did not see the dock at all, I would not be able to even use WaveOut or Direct Sound drivers to play an imported .wav file onto a track. I would not be able to select even one pair of inputs while using the E-MU ASIO driver.

I'm not sure what procedures you're using for your in-Reaper testing. But I don't think you need (one needs) the dock to have a minimally functional system. In a minimal state, like with 2 channel strips in PatchMix, one for wav the other for ASIO out - I don't think you need the dock for that to work. Like I said, I don't know how you're testing, but in general, just playing a wav file in reaper with wave out or direct sound probably just plays back through the wave out channel strip in patchMix, the ASIO strip doesn't even come into play... I could see how a botched boot of the dock and/or ASIO at startup might throw a wrech in the works, yet you'd still have some functionality... I think I might have to try this myself, leave the dock off and do something in Reaper...

I also saw in the manual for the 1616m: "Try selecting 'Restore Defaults' on the Patchmix taskbar options. Always try this option first if Patchmix is crashing or if you are having any other strange audio problems." Haven't tried that.

I think you're beyond boiler-plate suggestions in the manual - like 15+ years beyond. I wouldn't give that much weight.

And yes I was going to give one more try to the BETA version of EmuPMX_PCDrv_US_2_30_00 to see if it corrects the issue, but I doubt it because that's what I initially did, albeit using the installer package on Pg. 1. I believe above you said somewhere that you were not using the BETA version, so I gave that a try.

That's right, I'm not using beta, but I have a PCIe card. The 'preponderance' of the language used by Creative to describe these files suggests that the beta is probably the best choice for someone with a PCI card. But really I have no idea. And yeah, you tried the beta before and had the problem, I just don't know what all the other steps entailed, that's why I want you to do exactly what I did, in W10 and W11, which worked/works in both. Plus my method has the fewest 'moving parts', in theory it should be easier to solve any problems...

eq1 wrote: "Install drivers with executable, replace CTOSS2K with ctoss2k (new one), restart, install PatchMix." The CTOSS2k.sys file needs to be replaced. How do you install the new .sys file as an "executable?"

You don't, you just copy and paste. I was saying you install the Creative driver package with the executable, and then swap ctoss manually...

Anyway, there's lots of reasons why this stuff might not be working right that have nothing to do with your install methods. Apparently you're on a different computer than before, right? Probably different W10 build. How about BIOS settings and other drivers, conflicts? Different graphics card and driver/s? Possibly a 'privacy and security' setting - there's at least one driver in the install package that doesn't allow me to enable data execution prevention (DEP); in general, the older drivers/software tend to 'do things' that aren't allowed in newer Windows builds. I can see how ASIO - a deeper than normal level of functionality - could be getting screwed by some of that. Etc etc.

If you do the install exactly as I did, a method that worked for me, at least then I'd know it's not the install, and then I could turn my mind in other directions. Not that I really understand computer stuff at all. I just sort of have a heuristic mind when it comes to this audio device, having used it for ages and tackled problems myself. You really need someone who knows Windows OS, the changes since basically Win XP, and ideally an audio software developer. Without that - you've got people like me, and maybe planetearth, and we're just barely doing more than guessing.

[Aero312]

Reinstall attempt today:

1. Uninstall existing E-MU driver and app with Revo Uninstall.
2. Obtained EmuPMX_PCDrv_US_2_30_00_BETA from Creative website
https://support.creative.com/downloads/ ... 11#type_11 (Note: The BETA version of the driver is the one that says it is for PCI and PCIe, but Patchmix says it's for PCIe.)
3. Install with Microdock off, reboot into safe mode (cannot switch CTOSS2K.sys unless you do this), switch CTOSS2K.sys files, reboot
4. Install Patchmix, EmuPMX_PCApp_US_2_20_00 (also latest version from Creative website above), disable startups, reboot
5. Turn on Microdock, launch Patchmix. Loaded default session for 44.1 kHz (to match REAPER Project settings)
6. Launch REAPER and check ASIO function
Result: Works exactly the same as prior install. I can only select one input pair at a time in REAPER Preference > Device (see screenshot above) or I get intermittent noise as per sound clip (link is above).

Next attempt, CTASIO64.dll install:

1. Place CTASIO64.dll into 2 Windows folders: System32 and SysWOW64
2. Make first Registry modification: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, right-click AsioThk32Reg and choose Modify. Change CTASIO.DLL to CTASIO64.DLL
4. Microdock off, reboot, Microdock on, launch Patchmix
5. I did a check here in REAPER to see if this alone fixed anything. It did not. Same result as above.
6.Modify two additional registry entries of the original "CTASIO" driver in the registry to "CTASIO64":
HKLM/software/ASIO/E-MU ASIO
HKLM/software/WOW6432Node/ASIO/E-MU ASIO
7. Microdock off, Reboot, Microdock on, launch Patchmix
8. Check ASIO function in REAPER

Result: CTASIO Warning box:



This pops up every time I launch REAPER, each time I go to Preferences > Device, and when I load a project.
--Most importantly, the CTASIO64.dll install does nothing to stop the noise I encounter. I get the same result as above.

[eq1]

hmm, I'm pretty convinced your install methods aren't the problem...

3. Install with Microdock off, reboot into safe mode (cannot switch CTOSS2K.sys unless you do this), switch CTOSS2K.sys files, reboot

This is the only part of your process that's different from what I did, both in W10 and W11. I swapped the ctoss file before I restarted, didn't need safe mode. But, I don't think that should make a difference in success or failure... Or? Maybe it does? Seems like 'stuff' might get configured based on the old file once you restart, and then it'd have to be 'reconfigured' based on new once you swap - maybe something goes haywire in that process. I doubt it but...

Since you seem to be getting good at this, and since the ASIO warning message in Reaper seems to be a sticking point after the ASIO64 re-install - maybe you should try one or two variations on the theme: Try doing the ASIO64 swap before ever using/fully installing the normal one. Load the executable driver package, swap in ctoss and do the ASIO64 stuff, you could probably even install PatchMix at this point, too (I doubt it matters whether you do that before or after a restart, I think it even said that in the readme file) - then restart. Maybe even disable the startup thing too before the re-start. Basically streamline the whole process to make it easier and see if any other problems crop-up, and if they don't - you'll at least have a faster process to deal with...

Or you can just do one thing at a time, like just the ctoss swap and ASIO64 install before the initial restart...

Or just buy a new interface.

Your audio worked on your old computer - what's the differences between what you're working on now vs. then? Seems like you must still be using an older computer if it's got a PCI slot... I'm on a ~2014 Dell, Intel i7 4770 CPU. Old stuff, and the E-MU works. But I'm also using a PCIe card (and I also stripped-out a bunch of stuff in the OS before installing)... I tried the PCI card in this same computer a long time ago, but pretty sure that was only on W7, possibly W10. As I recall it worked, but seems like I did have some warbles, maybe a noise. I'd have to go back and see if I made notes.* But ultimately, whatever it was doing, I opted to just go with the PCIe card I already had. Oh, and I used the old PCI-only Creative install package, the one you mentioned many posts up. At that time I wasn't aware that the beta readme said the beta should work with PCI and PCIe...

*edit: Here's a link to a Reaper forum thread I made at the time. Apparently I never got the PCI card to work properly, and it was on W7. I was getting really loud pops. No solutions here, but there might be some info that helps you troubleshoot your own problem: https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=254985

[Aero312]

There is a significant difference between the two PCs

Old computer (E-MU gear worked as expected):

Windows 10 Pro N was installed at version 21H2 then updated to 22H2
Dell Vostro 410
CPU: Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
RAM: 8GB DDR2
Both PCI and PCIe slots available
Graphics card: ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO


New computer:

Windows 10 Pro installed at version 22H2
HP Elitedesk 800 G4 Workstation
CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 @ 3,2GHz
RAM: 32GB DDR4
No PCI slots on motherboard. E-MU 1010 sound card is connected to a PCIe to PCI bridge. Both the bridge and the soundcard appear in Device Manager as working properly.
Graphics card: Intel UHD 630 (no dedicated graphics card)

I was recording some bass this morning and I can do everything I could before except for one important thing: I can't select more than one pair of inputs at a time. That means for the front mic inputs (of which there are two on the 1616m Microdock, A and B) I can currently only use one at a time. In REAPER, the A mic input would be assigned to ASIO 1/2, and the B mic input would be assigned to ASIO 3/4, and I could use them both at the same time. Now, I can only set it up to use ASIO 1/2 or ASIO 3/4. Setting it up for both at the same time creates too much noise. Everything else appears to work fine, including the line-in inputs, which I can use for stereo. But it's a loss to not be able to do more than one pair of ASIO inputs at a time and I wouldn't be able to record in stereo using the front mic inputs.

But is this problem an issue with driver installation? Is it how REAPER is communicating with Patchmix? Is Patchmix installing properly?

[eq1]

^ So, no noise, just the input problem, or?

I was gonna say, I wouldn't be surprised if the PCI to PCIe bridge is throwing a wrench in the works. There's gotta be some translation going on there, some conversion, right? Seems like something that'd be ripe for error... I just now started looking for info about the difference between PCI and PCIe, the only thing I've read thus far is that PCIe is serial and PCI is parallel, so??... So, your parallel data have to be converted to a serial stream, or vice versa...

Seems like I've read, probably in this thread, someone mention using a PCI to PCIe bridge and not having issues, so, if that's a decent recollection, it suggests it's not impossible, at least. Of course, "decent recollection" is the key here, and I don't feel like searching through these pages...

edit: here's an excerpt that explains a bit about the difference, from a thread I'm reading:

"...The original PCI is a parallel physical interface, and PCIe is a serial physical interface. The protocol itself won't change between the two, but the serial PCIe is more "modular" and can use different lane counts, and being serial, those lanes can potentially be much faster than parallel lanes (the timing control becomes more difficult as parallel lane counts go up, but serial has no such timing issue). An 8-lane PCIe slot is "sort of" equivalent to an 8-bit parallel interface transfer so far as 8-bits in parallel would equal 8 lanes with 1 bit on each lane. Overall PCIe is just faster due to the ability to clock individual lanes so much faster, and the ability to pick and choose how many lanes get used..."
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads ... t-22343589

edit2: Here's a link to someone asking a question about PCI to PCIe bridge at microsofthelp or whatever, and it's actually someone using the E-MU card: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... b8ee88b029
No answers, but a sort of detailed description of his problem... That linked page actually has a link to a KVR thread about using a PCI-to-PCIe adapter - and the advice is 'don't do it': viewtopic.php?t=544457
There's actually more info at this thread, some people using emu and a bridge, recommendations, successes/failures, etc.

[Aero312]

I actually have a recent thread at Tom's Hardware forum where someone is successfully using a PCIe to PCI bridge with an E-MU soundcard. You can see what he says here: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads ... k.3877085/

The only noise I'm getting is very brief and not frequent. I also don't think it's being recorded. It's like a static or crackle that builds a little and if I go to REAPER Preferences > Device again and look at the settings then when I click it off the static is gone. But I was recording for at least an hour straight and there was no noise at all.

And despite my input issue, I also found a way to use the two mic inputs in the front of the Microdock for stereo recording. This is not the way I used to do it, but I just tried this and it works:

1. On Patchmix, delete the two channel strips for "Dock Mic/Line A" and "Dock Mic/Line B."
2. Right click in the Channel area and select "Append New Strip..."
3. For Physical Source select "DOCK A/B In"
4. For Host Source it should say "ASIO OUT 1/2"
(Windows Source and Aux Send Pre-Fader are irrelevant for this to record) Click OK
The channel strip created will be called "DOCK Mic A / B" with two L-R knobs panned hard left and right.
5. Now right click on an effects slot for the channel and select "Insert send (Output to ASIO/WAVE or Physical Out)"
6. The dialog box that pops up to select send output should be "HOST ASIO IN 1/2" Click OK.

Now in REAPER, with the same settings at Preferences > Device as shown in my post above (first input = 1 and last input = 2) when you go to a track you can select "Input: Stereo > ASIO in 1 / ASIO in 2" and that will be a stereo track taking its source from the two mic inputs on the Microdock. No noise for me doing it this way. And I can just save the channel configuration as a session for when I need to make a stereo recording with two mics.

But I never had to do it this way before. Plus, I can't simultaneously record the line-in at the rear of the Microdock while using this configuration because I can only select ASIO 1/2 in REAPER or I will get the noise.

It also means unless i can fix this to the way I had it I can't record two musicians using the Microdock at the same time, but I haven't needed to do that so not a problem.