Multi-client ASIO

[jens]

b.t.w.: with 'multi-client' people could also mean: using more than one asio-compatible soundcard at the same time. - The asio-specs don't allow this but againthere's a trick: WDM allows using more than one-soundcard at the same time and the new asio4all beta2 driver accesses the soundcard via wdm and then corresponds between the wdm-driver and the asio compatible-host (theoretically) allowing you to use an unlimited number of wdm-compatible soundcards in your asio-compatible host

Ok, but how do you synch 2 cards?

someone has asked me this question before:

the truth is - I have no clue about the 'syncing'
of cards - tbh I don't even know that they need to be synced - I'm a musician, not a programmer
- but if they need to be synced somehow I think it's probably the OS which does this job - mind you - 'wdm' is part of the os-architecture and thus co-operates with the os-kernel - but again: I don't have a clue about how this works - I just know that it works and use it.

[wuschel]

I've tried both ASIO2ks and ASIO4all on my dad's laptop. Neither of them works with Tracktion.

Tracktion enables the MS GS Wavetable Software Synth thingy _before_ it starts any ASIO driver. MSGSWTSWS enabled means the whole Windows audio driver stack is being started, taking possession of the audio device.

Since consumer grade audio stuff doesn't usually come with multiple DMA engines, there is no hardware mixing. Thus, only one application at any time can use the audio device. Since Windows does software mixing and resampling and whatnot, it only _appears_ like there are multi-client capabilities. The price you pay for this are the latency/quality issues associated with the MME/DX software driver stack.

Simple remedy for Tracktion would be to disable the MSGSWTSWS in the MIDI settings as you would not really want to use this anyway.