Hi Richard,
... neither ...
a. (XP)
Playing the non certified (MME) drivers from the Fireface do bypass KMixer, but playing is not stable there. I mean, when you activate another task during playing, the driver gives up and the sounds stops ... (but it implies bitperfect playback).
b. (XP)
With certified ("signed") drivers I don't think a method exists to bypass KMixer, or better, to avoid the dithering which takes place in there. I must say honestly though, that I didn't even perform all the tests to prove that. At the time I was concentrating on this I used the MME drivers (see a), and anticipating on Vista to do a better job;
Later, when Vista was there, the only thing which it brought by the then only one existing Engine (#1) was stable playback, but it's not bitperfect. KMixer became "Audio Engine" in Vista. Also that brought the possibility of larger than 64 MB file playback.
Again later I created Engine#2, meant to avoid the instability of the non certified drivers, also allowing for larger than 64MB playback. Not bitperfect.
c. (Vista)
There is no way to avoid "KMixer" (I rather keep on calling it like that) in Vista. Note that added to what already was, non-certified drivers cannot exist under Vista.
There is an escape though, and that is exclusive use of the Audio Endpoint Device. Engine#3 does that, and the playback bitperfect.
I spent four months on getting the funcionality of a player in it, until a few weeks ago I decided to get "something" for you all to download (that's when I created #2). Currently I'm working on #3 again, and I really hope to see the light in the next coming days, to present *that* to you.
I can add to it, that with the creation of #2, to my surprise that one too (not bitperfect) sounded way better than the existing known players. That's why I thought it was kind of legit to proceed on that.
Currently -never mind you all indeed think the current version sounds allright- I think it is a waste not to continue #3. It just sounds significantly better, with the option to unveil unheard detail in all the music "you" have. Whether that's correct is something else, but it can do it as a gadget anyway.
Remember, Engine#3 is Vista only.
Ad b.
With the example of
this topic there might be the theoretical option of getting a Windows2000 machine, and have the time of your life. Sadly I didn't try it myself yet, but I do believe things are better in there.
To me is seems impossible though, that that will beat Engine#3 (which is really very different, software wise).
If there's anything else, please ask.
Peter
