What are the benefits of ASIO?
If I’ve got a stable setup using WDM drivers, and if my setup is fully capable of using ASIO drivers, should I switch? I’m struggling to find a clear justification for something that might cause new problems.
ASIO has been around for years now and have been proven beyond doubt that they are the most sucessful audio drivers available -
WDM drivers use Windows to generate audio - ASIO drivers by-pass Windows, so ASIO handle audio quicker and consume less CPU use -
as for problems ASIO buffer settings are not controlled by N so Ns buffer settings are not in use - to adjust the buffer settings to suit the audio load you have or to shorten latency you will have to find and use tne ASIO control panel for the ASIO drivers -
you say that your system is capable of using ASIO but not what make of soundcard you are using or hope to use ? -
M.R.
ASIO - lower latency, abilty to record multiple channels
WDM - potentially higer latency, limited to a single stereo stream
It is simply a matter of a few check boxes to switch between ASIO and WDM, so I don’t see any real risk. However, the likelyhood of you have a problem is very very small.
In my experience (which seems to always be weird) different sound cards and computers handle the drivers differently. I have a harder time adjusting the buffers with ASIO, but it works well. WDM has been been less of a problem - for me. I have usually been able to get the latency plenty low with WDM. So, try them out and go with what you like, or works better.
Quote: (Bubbagump @ Sep. 28 2008, 2:26 PM)
ASIO - lower latency, abilty to record multiple channels
WDM - potentially higer latency, limited to a single stereo stream
What are you saying? I use WDM drivers and I'm perfectly able to record multiple channels. All eight simultaniously.
I use wdm-drivers because I can't adjust latency highenough with the control panel of my interface. I use insanely high latency setting just to be perfectly certain that I don't get snaps or pops.
I don't see any harm in high latency because I use N-track just for recording conventional instruments. If it takes a second for a recording to start after I press record button, so what?
This is what N-track manual says about different drivers:
Quote:
WDM, MME, Asio, DirectSound The program can access a soundcard using various different methods:
ï‚· WDM. This is the newest standard for Windows drivers and is supported by Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP and later operating systems. The program by default selects a WDM driver if any is found installed on the system, otherwise it selects the predefined MME driver
 MME. All soundcards have MME drivers. This is the oldest driver standard and although very reliable it doesn‟t allow to work with low latencies and is consequently not suited for live input processing
ï‚· Asio. Many semi-professional and professional soundcards have Asio drivers, which allow for latencies similar to those of WDM drivers
 DirectSound. Using DirectSound drivers is recommended only if no WDM driver is installed. DirectSound drivers currently don‟t support 24 bit recording and playback.
Using WDM and Asio drivers usually allows using a much lower latency than other types of drivers, and makes it for example feasible to use the program for live input processing of a musical instrument played in real-time (for example use a distortion plug-in to play an electric guitar without an amplifier and process its sound within n-Track). When using WMD and Asio drivers, you typically select a single driver in the Wave devices dialog box and all the soundcard‟s channels will automatically be used (as opposed to having to select multiple „virtual‟ drivers with MME one for each couple of channels). You can limit the number of channels that you want to use in the Advanced dialog box.
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ASIO - lower latency, ability to record multiple channels
WDM - potentially higher latency, limited to a single stereo stream
This is true but there is not enough info so the statements are slightly misleading.
ASIO - Supports multiple channels per stream, but only one instance can be opened at a time.
WDM - Stereo streams only, but multiple instances can be opened at a time.
In these cases, streams/instances are the devices exposed by the drive to the application.
For an 8 channel device, there will be one 8 channel ASIO device, but 4 stereo WDM devices (each for input and out).
Quote: (phoo @ Oct. 02 2008, 8:41 AM)
For an 8 channel device, there will be one 8 channel ASIO device, but 4 stereo WDM devices (each for input and out).
Correct. Sorry, I wasn't clear.
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I don't see any harm in high latency because I use N-track just for recording conventional instruments. If it takes a second for a recording to start after I press record button, so what?
It all comes down to application. If you are using VSTis in real time or other effects in real time, it does make a difference. Though, if you don't use that, then it doesn't matter.