I'm surprised it worked

[PeterSt]

Wow Jim. Im wonder where you find the time *and* report so extensively and decent about it. Thanks ...

But a question :
Suppose I'd like to try some of these route(s) ... as you may know XXHighEnd does not support ASIO. Btw, your NOS1 also does not, but it can (must provide a driver for it). But it is at least about the source part ...
What in your chains is able to do this without using ASIO (WASAPI or KS) ?
I could gain a LOT of time if you already know, or can try it easily. Remember, I said easily. Otherwise I hope you just know ...

Thanks a lot again,
Peter

[Jim_F]

Peter,

You wrote:

> I'm wondering where you find the time. . .

I just retired at the end of last October.  I've got nothing but time.  ;->

> Suppose I'd like to try some of these route(s) ...
> What in your chains is able to do this without using ASIO (WASAPI or KS) ?

Nothing in this chain is absolutely **dependent** on ASIO (though I'm using ASIO in most of it), as far as I can tell.

Let's see, starting with foobar2000 in the first computer -- I'm using the ASIO Fireface driver for the RME Fireface 400, but I could just as esaily be using either DirectSound or Kernel Streaming drivers for the Fireface 400.

In the second computer (connected to the RME Fireface UFX), I'm using the ASIO Fireface driver in Cantabile 2.0 Lite, but Cantabile also "sees" DirectSound drivers for the Fireface UFX.

In the third computer (connected to the RME Babyface and the Phasure NOS-1), in Cantabile I'm using the ASIO Fireface USB driver for the RME Babyface, but again Cantabile also sees the DirectSound drivers for the Babyface.

Voxengo Recorder (in the third computer) **only** sees MME drivers (for both RME Babyface and Phasure NOS-1), so of course I have that driver selected (for the NOS-1).

I haven't actually tried switching to any of these other drivers, but I have no reason to think they wouldn't work. I always pick ASIO if it's available.

Oops -- I take that back.  In the second computer (connected to the RME Fireface UFX), Cantabile sees DirectSound drivers for **either** ADAT 1+2 **or** ADAT 3+4, but not both (a similar limitation exists when using a USB connection to that box instead of Firewire, with or without ASIO).  So using a DirectSound driver I'd only have 2 channels at 24/192 instead of the 4 that I need to get Cantabile to do both input and output on the same box at 24/192.  I guess this is a limitation of the RME drivers.  I'd have to find a different -- and undoubtedly much more expensive -- interface box if I couldn't use ASIO on this middle machine.  But that has nothing to do with the Phasure NOS-1.

[Jim_F]

> In the third computer (connected to the RME Babyface and the Phasure NOS-1), in Cantabile I'm using
> the ASIO Fireface USB driver for the RME Babyface, but again Cantabile also sees the DirectSound
> drivers for the Babyface.

Just as an experiment, in this third computer I tried switching Cantabile's input to the driver labelled "DirectSound - SPDIF/ADAT (1+2) (RME Babyface)", but I could not get this to work.  Cantabile refuses to see any input via this driver. So Cantabile does in fact seem to be dependent on the ASIO driver for this device (the RME Babyface) to work properly.

Again, this has nothing to do with the availability, or lack thereof, of an ASIO driver for the Phasure NOS-1, since the Voxengo Recorder VST plugin that's driving the Phasure is not in fact using (or even seeing) any ASIO drivers -- it's only got MME drivers available.

By the way, you might wonder what's happening with the "official" output (as opposed to the "diverted" output from Voxengo Recorder) of Cantabile on this third computer (the one actually driving the NOS-1).  Answer -- I've left it "unassigned" (and also I've unchecked the "Output" checkbox in the "Master Levels" section of the top toolbar under the "Home" tab).  So I guess Cantabile is happy feeding a VST chain even if the ultimate output is both unconnected and unassigned.  (Which is nice, as it saves USB bandwidth that would otherwise be used just filling a formal requirement for an output device.)

But no-go with DirectSound.

[PeterSt]

Thank you again Jim.

I was asking, because when XXHighEnd is supposed to be in the chain (which would be the case for everyone but you), then all that that can put out is WASAPI Exclusve Mode and Kernel Streaming (which also requires Exclusive Mode of the device). This could be crucial, because Direct Sound (which XXHighEnd could use only in the old days) doe not require exclusive use of the device. This can already be a show stopper for when the software involved sees the output device in use when it wants to record from it, or the other way around (exclusively locks the device while the other software sees that as "can not play to it") - and nothing works for the whole because of this.

Besides that, and although it is not of your interest, "we" would never want the output mangled with (or the input for that matter) which inherently will be so for Direct Sound devices (may dither, may resample, anything).
And notice : The MME drivers are famous for NOT mangling with the data, but it really would reauire an RME device in the chain, which of course nobody has (well, my own FF800 died a few years ago). Even under XP.

These were not (implied) questions, but a perspective which doesn't make it all that easy (to judge at this moment).

Best regards,
Peter