Ableton Forum

Does it exist ?

I'm looking for a tiny souncard (USB stick) that would work in ASIO + multi client (ie Live + another software can play sound on the soundcard at the same time).

Does it exist ?

those types of sound cards are typically built into the motherboard these days.

The built in soundcard of my laptop works in Asio with asio4all, but then it s not multi client :
if I use live, i cannot do alt+tab and use soundforge for exemple.

This is very annoying, that s why i m looking for a USB soundcard (not an interface like tascam Us122, it s too big... I would like Just a USB stick soundcard).

any good? http://www.meritline.com/usb-sound-adap ... 60824.aspx, or you could look at the raspberry pi and create your own one, solder it to a usb connection innit.

waw! 3.99$ ! do you think this USB soundcard will work in ASIO + multiclient ?

nc2010 wrote:The built in soundcard of my laptop works in Asio with asio4all

No it doesn't. ASIO4ALL is NOT an ASIO driver. It also has no magic powers - it can't turn a normal soundcard into an ASIO one.

All it does is piggyback your WDM driver.

In days of olde, some pro software would only output audio through an ASIO interface. 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.

102455 wrote: 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.

102455 wrote:

nc2010 wrote:The built in soundcard of my laptop works in Asio with asio4all

No it doesn't. ASIO4ALL is NOT an ASIO driver. It also has no magic powers - it can't turn a normal soundcard into an ASIO one.

All it does is piggyback your WDM driver.

In days of olde, some pro software would only output audio through an ASIO interface. 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.

Thanks, but the goal of this topic was not to discuss what is ASIO and what is emulation of ASIO (I know, I know, I know, that ASIO4ALL is NOT an ASIO driver, etc.)
The topic is :
1/ I'm looking for low latency on my laptop
2/ It works with my internal built-in soundcard (with ASIO4ALL) but then it is NOT multiclient anymore (ie if Live is running, I cannot run any MP3 player or Soundforge for example)
3/ I want to find a solution
4/ I already have a REAL studio soundcard (MOTU 828 MK2 firewire) and even a more portable one (Tascam US122) but I just want to know if there exists a VERY SMALL solution, like a USB stick soundcard, with low latency + multiclient.


Cheers!

no.

think about it - a USB stick with a fader on it.

it would have no features. who would the market be? 46 users who want no inputs? onboard sound already provides all that this USB stick would, with the added benefit of not using up a USB port.

nc2010 wrote: 2/ It works with my internal built-in soundcard (with ASIO4ALL) but then it is NOT multiclient anymore (ie if Live is running, I cannot run any MP3 player or Soundforge for example)

You may read http://www.steinberg.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=48 really carefully and decide on your own if you wanna try it.

But one thing still sticks: There's no low latency without a pro audio interface like your MOTU or others.

nc2010I wrote:I just want to know if there exists a VERY SMALL solution

What type of laptop is it?

A company called Echo Audio used to make PCMCIA & CardBus/ExpressCard ASIO interfaces (the Indigo series).

Once they're inserted, very little of the card sticks out.

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

What features are you looking for in a soundcard (# of inputs/outputs, headphone amp, volume control)? There are many DAC's available in the hi-fi market that have a small form factor. From your brief USB-stick description, I would say the Audioquest Dragonfly. But that $3.99 stick looks pretty interesting, and I'm not sure how either is much better than using your built-in audio with its default driver.

pcmcia - echo indigo???

vaikl wrote:

nc2010 wrote: 2/ It works with my internal built-in soundcard (with ASIO4ALL) but then it is NOT multiclient anymore (ie if Live is running, I cannot run any MP3 player or Soundforge for example)

You may read http://www.steinberg.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=48 really carefully and decide on your own if you wanna try it.

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).

I have tried all these software solutions:
* ASIO4ALL
* this Steinberg multiclient software (often called "Vidance")
* JACK
* Virtual Audio Cabble (causes jitters/crackles)

None of these allowed me to have:
low latency for built-in soundcard + being able to play sound with 2 softwares at the same time (multiclient).

There's no low latency without a pro audio interface like your MOTU or others.

Probably true... I have noticed the same thing since all the audio interfaces I have tested (Firewire or USB, M-Audio, MOTU, Tascam, etc.)






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pcmcia - echo indigo???

I have a Lenovo T520 : no PCMCIA anymore !

nc2010 wrote:

pcmcia - echo indigo???

I have a Lenovo T520 : no PCMCIA anymore !

102455 wrote:Thomann (in Germany) still have the ExpressCard versions in stock.