ASIO soundcard in a USB stick

[vaikl]

I have already tried this multiclient driver. But it doesn't work with ASIO4ALL (this is normal: ASIO4ALL is NOT a real ASIO thing, it is just an emulation).

ASIO4ALL is helpful if your audio interface doesn't have an ASIO driver or if the driver is way to unstable. It's only a kind of "translator" between the ugly, old WDM driver model and ASIO. So there's absolutely no need to use ASIO4ALL together/on top with this newer Steinberg driver.

If this Steinberg driver doesn't work, it may be helpful to report it to the Steinberg forum. And please don't forget your OS version. Folks over there are sometimes not as polite as here

Or buy a mac with CoreAudio - problems are all gone

[skatr2]

Just out of curiosity, how can an internal soundcard not be "multi client"? If you have Live running, you couldn't turn on an audio player in the background and listen to both at the same time? In some environments like an ipad, I could see this happening. But on a normal computer? Just seems like technology is stepping backwards in this problem.

[102455]

It's ASIO that's not multi client.

Internal/onboard soundcards aren't (usually*) ASIO compliant.







* just in case there are some specialist motherboards or laptops

[vaikl]

Just out of curiosity, how can an internal soundcard not be "multi client"? If you have Live running, you couldn't turn on an audio player in the background and listen to both at the same time? In some environments like an ipad, I could see this happening. But on a normal computer? Just seems like technology is stepping backwards in this problem.

Audio streaming in the consumer/semi-pro usage of a PC has different requirements than audio streaming in the pro user/studio area. Both driver models are more or less multi*channel*-capable, but standard ASIO works *within* a multichannel *app* and the classic Windows drivers work within the OS. Therefor and due to some better programming ASIO can deliver a much much better latency in a pro environment. That's why Steinberg had invented ASIO.

[skatr2]

Just out of curiosity, how can an internal soundcard not be "multi client"? If you have Live running, you couldn't turn on an audio player in the background and listen to both at the same time? In some environments like an ipad, I could see this happening. But on a normal computer? Just seems like technology is stepping backwards in this problem.

Audio streaming in the consumer/semi-pro usage of a PC has different requirements than audio streaming in the pro user/studio area. Both driver models are more or less multi*channel*-capable, but standard ASIO works *within* a multichannel *app* and the classic Windows drivers work within the OS. Therefor and due to some better programming ASIO can deliver a much much better latency in a pro environment. That's why Steinberg had invented ASIO.

Gotcha. Makes sense. So essentially in a pro ASIO environment, expect to either have multiple computers working toward a common goal or expect to do things in segments and phases rather than everything at once? That's essentially the sacrifice for way better latency?

[ian_halsall]

pcmcia - echo indigo???

I have a Lenovo T520 : no PCMCIA anymore !

Thomann (in Germany) still have the ExpressCard versions in stock.

I have the express card version and I used to have the pcmcia.

Rock solid.

[vaikl]

Gotcha. Makes sense. So essentially in a pro ASIO environment, expect to either have multiple computers working toward a common goal or expect to do things in segments and phases rather than everything at once? That's essentially the sacrifice for way better latency?

Depending on the kind of job, i.e. a musician, an audio engineer for studio mixing/mastering or a FOH/venue engineer, your workflow can differ very strong between just audio recording/mixing in a DAW, using different audio tools for (re-)mastering or combining powerful hardware (synths, effect gear) with software for sound creation etc. Fewest people do this jobs all at once, so a convenient and efficient workflow plan is the master item to resolve.

There are other possibilities than multi-app audio streaming, i.e. the ReWire option between two or more DAWs, so that only one app is working like a mixer and I/O master device with much better routing options than with the very simple tools on a pure Windows OS.

[nc2010]

but unfortunately some people just can't seem to grasp that ASIO4ALL isn't necessary.

Yeah, too silly that most A4ALL users think this will boost up their audio system far beyond their manufacturers driver specs. I think just 1% of them has even read the ASIO4ALL description from it's inventor, Michael Tippach.

But ASIO4ALL does boost the audio system!
Without ASIO4ALL : MME/Direct X : minimum latency = 40ms
With ASIO4ALL : (pseudo)ASIO : minimum latency = 8ms

ASIO4ALL has always "boosted" all my laptops' internal built-in soundcard.

Don't you agree vaikl ?

[nc2010]

ASIO4ALL allowed cheapskates to emulate an ASIO interface, so fooling the software into sending audio through a non ASIO output.

Software with such restrictions is rare now, but unfortunately some people just can't seem to grasp that ASIO4ALL isn't necessary.

Yes I don't understand why you say ASIO4ALL isn't necessary.

Have you ever seen a soundcard with low latency in MME/DirectX mode in Ableton Live? (i.e. without using ASIO drivers / ASIO4ALL or similar things) ?

[102455]

It isn't necessary because most (all?) audio software nowadays has an option to use onboard sound.

In years gone by that wasn't the case. Some s/w only worked via ASIO - hence ASIO4ALL being developed so that people who couldn't be bothered to use a proper ASIO interface could use the software via their plain old bog standard consumer audio cards.

That whole business of needing to "fool" the s/w into working via a cheap & nasty card is redundant, because s/w isn't restricted to ASIO any more.

And yes, I have seen/heard non ASIO audio interfaces with low latency.

[nc2010]

It isn't necessary because most (all?) audio software nowadays has an option to use onboard sound.

In years gone by that wasn't the case. Some s/w only worked via ASIO - hence ASIO4ALL being developed so that people who couldn't be bothered to use a proper ASIO interface could use the software via their plain old bog standard consumer audio cards.

That whole business of needing to "fool" the s/w into working via a cheap & nasty card is redundant, because s/w isn't restricted to ASIO any more.

Your analysis about ASIO4ALL is incomplete :
1/ of course, in past years, it gave an opportunity for people having a normal soundcard to use software that only worked wia ASIO
but also:
2/ it improves the latency a lot

Of course now, software that only work via ASIO are very rare, so reason 1/ for using ASIO4ALL doesn't exist anymore.
But reason 2/ for using ASIO4ALL still exists

And yes, I have seen/heard non ASIO audio interfaces with low latency.

Which one for example? I'm very interested for this!

[Goddard]

Or buy a mac with CoreAudio - problems are all gone

I couldn't express it better... That's why I switched 5 years ago and never looked back.
Skål!

[nc2010]

Or buy a mac with CoreAudio - problems are all gone

I couldn't express it better... That's why I switched 5 years ago and never looked back.
Skål!

My pros/cons list about switching to mac has more in the 'cons' column for now...