Studio monitors...Yes or No (for me)

[jlgrimes]

First question of many....Sorry in advance.
I'm a guitarist playing around in Ableton and having fun. However as I'm still learning the software, I've found it tedious to constantly reset my audio interface preferences from midi/audio recording to listening/playback (via my computers stereo). Swapping drivers all the time is a hassle and I'm sure there is an easier way.
As I am new to this and learning I'd like to be able to watch a tutorial (Youtube or whatever) and implement it as I watch. But for me now, I have to close Ableton, watch the video again, open Ableton again to try what I have seen, and close Ableton again to hear the video sound from the tutorial. This is hardly ideal.
So my main question is:
If I bought some studio monitors and connected them to my interface outputs - would that mean I would no longer have to close Ableton in order to hear the audio from the tutorial video I am watching? The audio (from the video I am watching would play via my computer speakers) and my Ableton session would play via the monitors....? Yeah or Nah?

Your issue is more with the soundcard.

The ASIO spec don't allow multiple audiostreams. That said certain manufacturers have figured out how to get around it.

The goal is to find an audio interface that support multiple streams.

Most modern interfaces do support multiple streams though but if you got something old or maybe using ASIO4ALL, you might have these problems.

[fishmonkey]

Your issue is more with the soundcard.

unless i'm completely misunderstanding the situation, part of the OP's problem is that their only speakers are connected to the built-in audio interface of their computer, and they do not want to always monitor with headphones using their main recording audio interface..

if that is the case, getting some studio monitors would allow them to either 1) monitor everything via the studio monitors, or 2) have Live use the studio monitors, and other Windows apps use their computer speakers if their audio interface doesn't have a multiclient driver...

[jestermgee]

unless i'm completely misunderstanding the situation, part of the OP's problem is that their only speakers are connected to the built-in audio interface of their computer, and they do not want to always monitor with headphones using their main recording audio interface..

if that is the case, getting some studio monitors would allow them to either 1) monitor everything via the studio monitors, or 2) have Live use the studio monitors, and other Windows apps use their computer speakers if their audio interface doesn't have a multiclient driver...

Yeah you are missing something. He is saying he needs to keep switching drivers because when he uses ASIO he cannot also watch a youtube video because audio does not come out at the same time Live does which is going to be the case with ASIO.

[thing]

just a tip: listing all your current equipment makes it easier for everyone to be on the same page.

Yep, that would be the best advice here. I just assumed, because you are a newbie and you didn't list any actual useful details about your audio setup that you were just using the term "Audio Interface" to describe your soundcard in your PC. We have no clue what you have in front of your eye balls so you need to paint a picture.

Most decent audio interfaces will offer hybrid functionality. I own a Presonus Firebox, Roland Octacapture and Edirol (Roland) UA-25 and all of these allow me to use ASIO with a DAW and WASAPI with windows at the same time so I can use Live and other applications withy the interface. That is one reason you would go for a decent interface.

Understood thanks.

A good mate of mine who is into home recording updated to Pro Tools 12 + a new interface. I've taught him guitar over the years and he knew I was interested in doing some home recording myself.
He came over a couple of months ago and gave me his old Mbox mini + Pro Tools 9 as a payback for all the time I had spent teaching him. He lives interstate now and is very busy and I don't wan't to bother
him all the time as he did me a nice favour.
I played around a bit with PT9 and soon worked out I really needed a midi keyboard, so I bought one and it came with Ableton. Once I started using Ableton I felt more comfortable with it over PT.

So an Mbox mini, M-Audio Oxygen 49 midi keyboard into a PC.
PC is 64 Bit, Core i7 with 16gb RAM.

From what I have read Mbox with PC and Ableton is not the ideal setup but it's what I have. I do use Macs all the time at work as I have a Graphics business which is all Mac, but at home I prefer PC.

Happy to get a new interface or monitors if it would solve some of my problems. However, I'm not trying to be a recording guru and just want a simple usable home recording environment. Any help is appreciated.

Cheers.

[fishmonkey]

unless i'm completely misunderstanding the situation, part of the OP's problem is that their only speakers are connected to the built-in audio interface of their computer, and they do not want to always monitor with headphones using their main recording audio interface..

if that is the case, getting some studio monitors would allow them to either 1) monitor everything via the studio monitors, or 2) have Live use the studio monitors, and other Windows apps use their computer speakers if their audio interface doesn't have a multiclient driver...

Yeah you are missing something. He is saying he needs to keep switching drivers because when he uses ASIO he cannot also watch a youtube video because audio does not come out at the same time Live does which is going to be the case with ASIO.

yeah, but even if the audio interface does not handle multiclient streams, couldn't they use the built-in audio for Windows, and the external audio interface for Live?

[jestermgee]

unless i'm completely misunderstanding the situation, part of the OP's problem is that their only speakers are connected to the built-in audio interface of their computer, and they do not want to always monitor with headphones using their main recording audio interface..

if that is the case, getting some studio monitors would allow them to either 1) monitor everything via the studio monitors, or 2) have Live use the studio monitors, and other Windows apps use their computer speakers if their audio interface doesn't have a multiclient driver...

Yeah you are missing something. He is saying he needs to keep switching drivers because when he uses ASIO he cannot also watch a youtube video because audio does not come out at the same time Live does which is going to be the case with ASIO.

yeah, but even if the audio interface does not handle multiclient streams, couldn't they use the built-in audio for Windows, and the external audio interface for Live?

Well actually that should be possible if it was just mixed together. Would be one simple solution for the OP if he has a small mixer somewhere.

I am not farmiliar with that audio interface there but every one I have used supports multi-client audio connections as long as the bitrates are the same for each application, still only one can use ASIO at a time tho.

[siehorst]

yeah, but even if the audio interface does not handle multiclient streams, couldn't they use the built-in audio for Windows, and the external audio interface for Live?

Not simultaneously.

[fishmonkey]

yeah, but even if the audio interface does not handle multiclient streams, couldn't they use the built-in audio for Windows, and the external audio interface for Live?

Not simultaneously.

so Windows doesn't let you use more than one audio driver simultaneously? that sucks!

[jestermgee]

It should allow one device in Live and another within windows (just not both ASIO devices). Just cannot select 2 different I/O devices within Live like you can on Mac.

[fishmonkey]

It should allow one device in Live and another within windows (just not both ASIO devices). Just cannot select 2 different I/O devices within Live like you can on Mac.

that's what i thought.

my understanding of the original post is:

1. external interface is used for recording, and monitoring from Live with headphones
2. the only available speakers are connected to the built-in audio interface

hence all the driver switching when wanting to hear audio through the speakers...

surely some studio monitors connected to the external interface avoids the need to switch drivers all the time?

[thing]

It should allow one device in Live and another within windows (just not both ASIO devices). Just cannot select 2 different I/O devices within Live like you can on Mac.

that's what i thought.

my understanding of the original post is:

1. external interface is used for recording, and monitoring from Live with headphones
2. the only available speakers are connected to the built-in audio interface

hence all the driver switching when wanting to hear audio through the speakers...

surely some studio monitors connected to the external interface avoids the need to switch drivers all the time?

Yes Yes!! (But I can monitor from live via the speakers if I have the drivers switched again)....which is exactly what is annoying me. I asked earlier on if studio monitors would help but kept getting "No" it wouldn't. I'm happy to get some but don't want to dive in if I'm still stuck the way I am.

[thing]

I thank you all very much for your input here.

I have done more research and looked again at each and every post here on the forum, and in particular on this thread.

I believe my driver swapping issue is one I will have to live with if I want to run Ableton on PC. I will do that for now and live with it.

As for listening via speakers and recording live audio at the same time (either guitar or vocal), it was stupid of me the think I should do this any other way than using headphones.
Obviously the ambient noise from the speakers would be recorded via the microphone thus corrupting the integrity of the signal. It's amazing what a couple of nights sleep thinking about it all does.

So in the short term my fixes are:
1. To enable me to watch a Youtube tutorial (or other) then implement it via Ableton without switching drivers - use my Laptop and buy some decent external speakers + sub.
2. To record audio (either guitar or vocal) - buy a decent set of headphones + a long extension cable so I can throw it over my back when recording and playing guitar.

Maybe I should sell the Mbox for a Focusrite but I'm not sure that would help with the driver issue, I think it's all about using Ableton via PC rather than a Mac?

Any further thoughts are welcome and thanks again.

BTW I did sort out a cheat for hearing and recording guitar via mp PC speakers - I changed the driver (again) and used the headphone output from the Mbox, a quarter inch to RCA converter into the PC stereo. It worked
but as I said stupid way to go due to ambient noise.