Subject:Output Issues

Posted by: Angels

Date:11/10/2010 9:46:26 PM

I have several annoying issues with SF on my system. I use multiple RME cards on three computers, all locked to 44.1 kHz via Word Clock.

1. When using ASIO, for some reason Sound Forge will play a 48 kHz wav file slower, instead of telling me it can't play it back because it can't change the card's sampling rate, which is what happens with other sampling rates. Why doesn't SF tell me it can't play back the file in this instance? This caused some head scratching for me till I realized what was going on.

2. Traditionally, SF relies on the Microsoft Sound Mapper for on the fly sample rate conversion. I tried the Microsoft Sound Mapper and the Direct Surround Sound Mapper, and they don't seem to sample rate convert properly with the RME drivers; it's very glitchy. I submit that it would be great to have an optional Sample Rate Converter within Sound Forge to perform this conversion (like other programs do; even Vegas does this, with different quality settings) so this would no longer be an issue.

3. For some reason I can't share my cards' channels with any other software when either Sound Mapper is selected. This works with the ASIO driver, but then the sample rate conversion issue is a problem.

Thanks.

Subject:RE: Output Issues

Reply by: jbolley

Date:11/15/2010 9:10:26 AM

I'd look at the asio driver. Where did it come from? Does RME have one? Is there an update for it you could try? Have you tried ASIO4all free driver?

Jesse

Subject:RE: Output Issues

Reply by: Angels

Date:11/15/2010 10:09:25 PM

I'm dealing with multiple cards in multiple systems all locked to 44.1 kHz and while an ASIO driver will ask the local card driver to change sampling rates, if it can't it normally just tells the request that the sampling rate can't be changed and your software tells you that it can't play back the file at the requested sampling rate.

The fact that SF just plays a 48k file at 44.1k without asking (just slower) is IMO a bug because it's not telling you in any way that this is going on.

As for ASIO4ALL, it doesn't work as it doesn't resample internally and pretty much behaves like an ASIO sound card as described above.

For the record, I have found a way of using the Surround Mapper using a second RME card on my system as the system card (so one's ASIO and the other is assigned to the WDM system). Its clock being fixed at 44.1, the 2nd card now goes through the W7 Mapper which is doing the resampling. Not ideal but it works. I still think it would be much simpler for SF to offer a resampler at its output for ASIO use.

Subject:RE: Output Issues

Reply by: ChristoC

Date:11/15/2010 10:13:40 PM

Actually, the resampler should be built into the Soundcard. That way many applications, working at different samplerates, can share the same card.

Subject:RE: Output Issues

Reply by: Angels

Date:11/15/2010 10:48:00 PM

Doing it in software, in the editor or DAW, makes more sense. It would be really complicated for a sound card manufacturer to implement software-based multi-channel, resampling in their drivers (and hardware based would be prohibitively expensive). And it's likely not supported by the ASIO spec anyway. Sony already does output and by-track resampling in Vegas and Acid so they already know how to do it and have the experience to do it well.

Subject:RE: Output Issues

Reply by: ChristoC

Date:11/16/2010 3:01:34 PM

> It would be really complicated for a sound card manufacturer to implement .....

Not really; I have SSL/Soundscape Mixpander and MX4 cards which do that fine; the Mixpanders have done that for around 12 years! It's a no-brainer for a good DSP.

Subject:RE: Output Issues

Reply by: Angels

Date:11/17/2010 10:06:59 PM

Sure. But it's hardly a typical sound card! ;o)