Audio Interface & WASAPI driver

user90

Hi,

I use Guitar Rig 5. I know it's old but it works on my Windows 10 desktop. So far I am plugging in my electric guitar into the Line-In port of my sound card.

At present I use WASAPI driver available in Guitar Rig 5 settings. The advantage is I can also play music thru other apps and output in a way mixes at the Line-Out properly.

Soon I will be buying Audio Interface and plug it into USB port.

Now what I am unsure is can I still opt for WASAPI Shared driver with Audio Interface or I must use ASIO.

I think last time when I used ASIO I could not use other apps to play sound e.g. I use an app to slow down music which itself can not be done in Guitar Rig 5. So with ASIO I was able to play only one of the two not both.

Thanks.

user90

With Wasapi I can only control sampling rate. 30ms is what set by the app. I have no control over it. If i change sampling from 44 to 48K then it slightly comes down to 28!

With built-in Realtek ASIO it comes down to just 7 ms.

Thank you all for your help and support.

LostInFoundation

Firstly the answer to your question: yes, many audio interfaces has also the possibility to chose the wasapi shared mode.

But… shared mode is often not the best choice, cause it can cause problems. Ever thought to use some kind of DAW where you can load all your plugins? And you can also record your guitar like this. There are also some free ones (or audio interfaces that give you some software bundled, included some daws)

Kubrak

Some interfaces have also shared ASIO drivers. At least I think, so. I haven't tried. It is prefered to use ASIO driver to using WASAPI...

Beside that, you may use virtual audio cable/mixer SW. You would route GR and other program to it and from that output to audio interface. It is similar solution to what @LostInFoundation has suggested (using DAW in the middle), but simpler.

https://vb-audio.com/Voicemeeter/index.htm

Or something similar.

Jeremy_NI

@user90 In some cases you can also have multiple applications using your ASIO driver, there is a good article from Ableton on the topic: https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/209770485-Disabling-exclusive-mode-for-ASIO-interfaces

user90

Unfortunately when I uncheck Exclusive Control option, I do not hear any sound with ASIO.

I have interesting observation and for my amateur level work I still feel Wasapi works the best.

wasapi.png

Kubrak

Well, your audiointerface has either very poor ASIO driver, or there is another problem. The roundtrip is very high.... But it is rather high even for WASAPI driver.

The internal audio interface behaves better and result with ASIO is better than with WASAPI in this case.

Still, you may try virtual mixer with your current audiointerface and if it works for you, you may buy any decent audiointerface despite it has or not WASAPI driver. Anyway most do have it.

user90

Well so far I have not bought audio interface. I am just testing the ASIO drivers.

So far the guitar is plugged into Line-In.

That's where I wanted to know if USB Audio Interface device supports WASAPI.

For me 30ms on WASAPI is ok for amateur level work. With realtek's ASIO it's much better.

Other third-party are too poor.

The audio interface that I am going to buy will come with bundled DAW and they have pointed me to ASIO4ALL for drivers!!

Kubrak

But ASIO4All just wraps WASAPI driver....

30 ms is so, so....

user90

With Wasapi I can only control sampling rate. 30ms is what set by the app. I have no control over it. If i change sampling from 44 to 48K then it slightly comes down to 28!

With built-in Realtek ASIO it comes down to just 7 ms.

Thank you all for your help and support.