ASIO Output Plugins - Revision history

Mcow: /* Notes on out_asio(dll).dll */

2010-08-28T18:45:49Z

Notes on out_asio(dll).dll

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:45, 28 August 2010
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	This is the Otachan plugin, which is the one I'm using. It has its own control over resampling; I'm not sure how that interacts with the ASIO4ALL resampling setting, since I didn't want the resampling turned on.		This is the Otachan plugin, which is the one I'm using. It has its own control over resampling; I'm not sure how that interacts with the ASIO4ALL resampling setting, since I didn't want the resampling turned on.

	Other than selecting the correct devices and turning off resampling, I've left all the settings at their defaults. For me, this works great, with both MediaMonkey 3.04 and WinAmp 2.81.		Other than selecting the correct devices, turning on gapless playback, and turning off resampling, I've left all the settings at their defaults. For me, this works great, with both MediaMonkey 3.04 and WinAmp 2.81.

	=== Issues with Gapless playback ===		=== Issues with Gapless playback ===

Mcow: /* Issues with Gapless playback */

2010-08-28T18:44:56Z

Issues with Gapless playback

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:44, 28 August 2010
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	=== Issues with Gapless playback ===		=== Issues with Gapless playback ===
	~~Several users have reported problems with~~ gapless playback with ~~these plugins in combination with ASIO4ALL~~, ~~even if~~ gapless ~~mode~~ is ~~ticked~~ in the ~~settings. It seems that for every new~~ track a ~~new instance of~~ the ~~ASIO connection is made~~, with ~~a pause and some ticks~~ between tracks.		If the plugin is configured for gapless playback, then it is loaded when MediaMonkey starts up. ASIO4ALL displays its tray icon with the Pause symbol, which changes to the Play symbol when the player is active.

			If gapless playback is turned off (in the Otochan plugin), then the plugin is loaded only when the player starts, and is unloaded at the end of each track; this puts a short silent gap between tracks, which can be annoying when playing albums with tracks that flow from one to the next.

			However, even with gapless playback, there can be an audible tick at the transition between tracks which flow.

Mcow: /* Notes on out_asio.dll */

2010-08-28T18:34:56Z

Notes on out_asio.dll

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:34, 28 August 2010
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	=== Notes on out_asio.dll ===		=== Notes on out_asio.dll ===
	This is the WinAmp-vetted plugin. One thing this plugin provides that the Otachan plugin does not is, it adjust volume according to the MediaMonkey volume control.		This is the WinAmp-vetted plugin. One thing this plugin provides that the Otachan plugin does not is, it adjust volume according to the MediaMonkey volume control. This plugin uses gapless mode.

	=== Notes on out_asio(dll).dll ===		=== Notes on out_asio(dll).dll ===

Nohitter151 at 18:43, 14 July 2010

2010-07-14T18:43:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:43, 14 July 2010
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	=== Issues with Gapless playback ===		=== Issues with Gapless playback ===
	Several users have reported problems with gapless playback with these plugins in combination with ASIO4ALL, even if gapless mode is ticked in the settings. It seems that for every new track a new instance of the ASIO connection is made, with a pause and some ticks between tracks~~. This renders ASIO useless~~.		Several users have reported problems with gapless playback with these plugins in combination with ASIO4ALL, even if gapless mode is ticked in the settings. It seems that for every new track a new instance of the ASIO connection is made, with a pause and some ticks between tracks.

Mcow: Added intro with info that this is XP-specific; tweaked header to last section.

2010-06-27T22:13:05Z

Added intro with info that this is XP-specific; tweaked header to last section.

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:13, 27 June 2010
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			ASIO is a sound driver protocol which bypasses intermediate layers of Windows software, in particular kmixer (which by default resamples the bitstream). It is useful in MediaMonkey because it can provide bit-perfect output from an S/PDIF device. It also leaves the music output (whether analog or digital) unaffected by the Windows volume control, so that an external stereo can adjust its volume independently.

			ASIO is useful under Windows XP (and earlier). Windows Vista introduced the WASAPI interface which affords the same capability native to the operating system. A different plugin is needed to run WASAPI via MediaMonkey.

	== ASIO Output Plugins ==		== ASIO Output Plugins ==
	There are (at least) two ASIO output plugins that can be used by MediaMonkey. Neither is sufficient to generate audio; both plugins require an additional ASIO DLL. There can be multiple ASIO DLLs, apparently; perhaps some audio device has its own ASIO interface file. Both plugins allow selection of a particular ASIO device (which is to say, the file). Each ASIO DLL contains code to display a dialog for its own configuration.		There are (at least) two ASIO output plugins that can be used by MediaMonkey. Neither is sufficient to generate audio; both plugins require an additional ASIO DLL. There can be multiple ASIO DLLs, apparently; perhaps some audio device has its own ASIO interface file. Both plugins allow selection of a particular ASIO device (which is to say, the file). Each ASIO DLL contains code to display a dialog for its own configuration.
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	Other than selecting the correct devices and turning off resampling, I've left all the settings at their defaults. For me, this works great, with both MediaMonkey 3.04 and WinAmp 2.81.		Other than selecting the correct devices and turning off resampling, I've left all the settings at their defaults. For me, this works great, with both MediaMonkey 3.04 and WinAmp 2.81.

	=== ~~Added Note on~~ Gapless playback ~~by Pete10~~===		=== Issues with Gapless playback ===
	Several users have reported problems with gapless playback with these plugins in combination with ASIO4ALL, even if gapless mode is ticked in the settings. It seems that for every new track a new instance of the ASIO connection is made, with a pause and some ticks between tracks. This renders ASIO useless.		Several users have reported problems with gapless playback with these plugins in combination with ASIO4ALL, even if gapless mode is ticked in the settings. It seems that for every new track a new instance of the ASIO connection is made, with a pause and some ticks between tracks. This renders ASIO useless.

Mcow: added paragraph about increasing ASIO buffer

2010-06-27T21:59:55Z

added paragraph about increasing ASIO buffer

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:59, 27 June 2010
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	=== Notes on ASIO4ALL ===		=== Notes on ASIO4ALL ===
	I am using ASIO4ALL to drive a USB->SP/~~DIF~~ device that feeds a DAC on my stereo. I've configured Windows to play system sounds through the computer speakers, so I had to configure ASIO4ALL to select the USB Audio device.		I am using ASIO4ALL to drive a USB->S/PDIF device that feeds a DAC on my stereo. I've configured Windows to play system sounds through the computer speakers, so I had to configure ASIO4ALL to select the USB Audio device.

	My DAC is strictly 16-bit/44.1KHz, so I also had to turn on Advanced Options and turn off the Always Resample option. In order to make this work, it's necessary to expand the tree under the "WDM Device List" and select the "Out" node ''under'' "USB Audio", and then uncheck the Always Resample box.		My DAC is strictly 16-bit/44.1KHz, so I also had to turn on Advanced Options and turn off the Always Resample option. In order to make this work, it's necessary to expand the tree under the "WDM Device List" and select the "Out" node ''under'' "USB Audio", and then uncheck the Always Resample box.

			Because this is a playback-only system, latency is not a big issue. After having some stuttering problems with a new new audio device on a new computer (onboard RealTek S/PDIF output), I discovered (by reading the ASIO4ALL manual) that setting the ASIO buffer size to its maximum was useful and caused no particular problems.

	=== Notes on out_asio.dll ===		=== Notes on out_asio.dll ===

Pete10: /* ASIO Output Plugins */

2010-01-03T22:56:55Z

ASIO Output Plugins

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:56, 3 January 2010
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	Other than selecting the correct devices and turning off resampling, I've left all the settings at their defaults. For me, this works great, with both MediaMonkey 3.04 and WinAmp 2.81.		Other than selecting the correct devices and turning off resampling, I've left all the settings at their defaults. For me, this works great, with both MediaMonkey 3.04 and WinAmp 2.81.

			=== Added Note on Gapless playback by Pete10===
			Several users have reported problems with gapless playback with these plugins in combination with ASIO4ALL, even if gapless mode is ticked in the settings. It seems that for every new track a new instance of the ASIO connection is made, with a pause and some ticks between tracks. This renders ASIO useless.

Mcow at 03:59, 22 September 2008

2008-09-22T03:59:46Z

New page

== ASIO Output Plugins ==
There are (at least) two ASIO output plugins that can be used by MediaMonkey. Neither is sufficient to generate audio; both plugins require an additional ASIO DLL. There can be multiple ASIO DLLs, apparently; perhaps some audio device has its own ASIO interface file. Both plugins allow selection of a particular ASIO device (which is to say, the file). Each ASIO DLL contains code to display a dialog for its own configuration.

The MediaMonkey [http://www.mediamonkey.com/addons/input-output/ Add-Ons page] points to [http://otachan.com/out_asio(dll).html otachan.com (Japanese)] where there is an ASIO plugin available for downloading. This plugin provides several options, but doesn't provide direct access to the ASIO configuration dialog.

There another ASIO output plugin available at [http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details/156466 WinAmp.com], which has a much simpler interface. The only option provided by this plugin, other than the selection of which ASIO file should be is the selection of 5.1 audio, but it has a button to open the ASIO configuration dialog directly.

All these plugins do is provide an interface between the player and the ASIO file. A generic ASIO file can be found at [http://www.asio4all.com/ ASIO4ALL.com]; this library provides an ASIO interface to any Windows audio driver that has been written to the WDM (Windows Driver Model) specification -- which should be any driver, these days. ASIO4ALL creates its own tray icon when it's active (playing); you can click on the icon to open its configuration dialog.

Note that ASIO4ALL has a 64-bit version; however, MediaMonkey and the two output plugins are all 32-bit and won't use the 64-bit DLL.

SO: to use ASIO with MediaMonkey, you
* obtain one of the output plugins and an appropriate ASIO driver DLL;
* copy both into the MediaMonkey plugins directory;
* configure the plug-in to use the ASIO driver; and
* if necessary, configure the ASIO driver to access the device.
Then the player should pipe the music to the device.

=== Notes on ASIO4ALL ===
I am using ASIO4ALL to drive a USB->SP/DIF device that feeds a DAC on my stereo. I've configured Windows to play system sounds through the computer speakers, so I had to configure ASIO4ALL to select the USB Audio device.

My DAC is strictly 16-bit/44.1KHz, so I also had to turn on Advanced Options and turn off the Always Resample option. In order to make this work, it's necessary to expand the tree under the "WDM Device List" and select the "Out" node ''under'' "USB Audio", and then uncheck the Always Resample box.

=== Notes on out_asio.dll ===
This is the WinAmp-vetted plugin. One thing this plugin provides that the Otachan plugin does not is, it adjust volume according to the MediaMonkey volume control.

=== Notes on out_asio(dll).dll ===
This is the Otachan plugin, which is the one I'm using. It has its own control over resampling; I'm not sure how that interacts with the ASIO4ALL resampling setting, since I didn't want the resampling turned on.

Other than selecting the correct devices and turning off resampling, I've left all the settings at their defaults. For me, this works great, with both MediaMonkey 3.04 and WinAmp 2.81.