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ASIO4ALL Crackles With Wavelength Audio Brick

Hi,

Has anyone installed asio4all and experience it generates soft crackles every 10 min or so? I selected the USB Audio Device (I use a USB DAC Wavelength Brick) and I made sure that the "Always resample 44Hz" box is checked but it still hear these annoying crackles. I use iTunes. Before installing asio4all, this didn´t happen.

I don't know what latency compensation is either, nor the proper settings for asio4all. Gordon Rankin from Wavelength recommends using it, since he argues Windows audio data gets mucked before going to the USB port. From his site:

"Windows has a terrible little problem called the K-Mixed. It basically is a component of Windows that mucks with the data before it goes out the USB port. To fix that problem there is a little free program called ASIO4ALL.com that replaces the K-Mixer and sends out unaltered data to the USB Port.Ounce you have installed the USB DAC through Windows setup wizard. Now install ASIO4ALL and select the DAC using it's utility."

Thanks for your help.

Josep
josep_hernandez
10 responses Add your response
davidz
44 posts
 
Josep -- It seems that Gordon would be the one to best troubleshoot your issue. Have you contacted him? -- David
josep_hernandez OP
50 posts
 
Yes, I just did. He told me that asio4all does not work with iTunes. I have been reading many threads these afternoon suggesting iTunes can be linked to Foobar through a pluggin which would allow to use asio4all. Unfortunately, Foobar does not support Apple Lossless right of the bat, so you have to get a special pluggin for that. Apparently, this pluggin is buggy.

I just want to play Apple Lossless using iTunes avoiding problems with KMixer from Windows.

Any suggestions?
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Get a MAC. This is the only thing that will solve it IME.
josep_hernandez OP
50 posts
 
I did further research and you're right, so far, there's no way around kmixer with a PC if one intends to use iTunes and Apple Lossless. Apparently, Foobar's previous version 0.83 could be linked to iTunes to run the backend, but unfortunately did not play ALAC (Apple Lossless). On the contrary, the new version, 0.9 can play ALAC but can´t be linked to iTunes. Apparently, Foobar v.9 allows to do Kernel streaming which avoids kmixer, but so far I either have to choose between the Wavelength Brick USB Dac or the Kernel streaming which does not recognizes the DAC.

Gordon just told me that the new Windows Vista won't have the kmixer, so I will wait and see.
jc51373
532 posts
 
I tried the Windows/ASIO mix, for a few weeks. Then bought a MAC Book, and the difference was simply astounding. I was shocked, and quite honestly the only reason I bought the MAC book was to give the Brick a fair shake in my system. Glad I did, because it was the answer.

MAC drivers very simply have MUCH better control over the hardware than anything in a Windows machine. Not to mention the hardware is actually much better.

If you are having a problems with the WinASIO combo, give a MAC a shot if budget allows. Its the answer.
michaelct
27 posts
 
Get a Macintosh. Life is short.
Mac, via USB to Bel Canto DAC3 and monoblocs ...
30 second set-up -- maybe less.
Rivals or betters a $3k CD player. Done! Move on!
Groove to the tunes, before you croak, man. ;-)
Seriously, an iMac is about $1000, 120 GB hard drive,
best USB audio on the planet, 17" monitor built in,
no fans, and will run Windoze in emulation or from
reboot. Isn't this a no-brainer, Windoze devotee or not?
jeffreybowman2k
216 posts
 
jc51373: thanks for the advice. i just picked up a cosecant and was trying to use it with my vaio/asio4all/itunes/foobar. when it worked, the results were fantastic. but more often than not, i would need to reset the preferences in foobar or the settings in asio4all to get it going. glad to hear that Mac not only solves this, but actually improves SQ in the meantime.
jc51373
532 posts
 
Jeff, good luck man..I promise there will be a difference sonically, not to mention the MAC is just easier to use.

Where'd you get your Cosecant? How do you like it so far?
jeffreybowman2k
216 posts
 
I bought my cosecant from don better at don better audio in shaker heights, oh. super guy and an incredible selection of gear.

BTW: Gordon's website has a link to an application called "Clicker" that would enable control of itunes on a PDA through a bluetooth connection to the Mac. Have you tried it? Don Better had it running on a Palm at his place, and it looked like it worked flawlessly. If I could just figure out how to flip my LPs with a remote, I would never have to leave my chair!
jc51373
532 posts
 
Funny....Don is where I got my stuff from too, he is a great guy. Best service around.

Haven't tried the clicker, heard about it. In my application I don't have a use for it.

So how long have you had your Cosecant? Must love it huh?
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