Asio

[Funk as Puck]

Forgive me for being dumb, but what exactly is ASIO? I'm just getting into high quality audio, with a new audigy 2 and a klipsch speaker system. I've seen various references to ASIO and I can't figure out if it is to do with digital output or what. I'm quite curious, especially in reference to the ASIO plugin for winamp mentioned in several reviews. I'm sure you guys can clear this up for me.

 

[Funk as Puck]

Anyone?

Also, in regards to using the MAD and SSRC Waveout plugins to achieve 24-bit playback in Winamp... Can this be verified somehow? Of course the plugins report that they are inputting/outputting 24-bits, but I tried the same thing on a system with an old 16-bit card and the plugins report the same thing. How can you check whether you are getting 24-bit playback?


Andrew

 

[TS | Thomas]

All you need to know about ASIO.

As regards setting them up, well what's in the Audigy 2 review is fine to follow, on this page. Depending on what OS you use Windows will downsample it to whatever the highest bit-depth the Soundcard supports if you set it too high (Beyond that the only way you can verify for sure would be to record the input at the mode).

 

[Funk as Puck]

Thanks for the info Thomas... (some really nice Creative propaganda too!). I'm still unsure, though, of how this relates to the output of a single source (an mp3 file). Would the ASIO plugin be enabled to the exclusion of the waveout plugin? If so, what would be the difference, and if not - then I still have no idea. Can you (or anyone) clarify?


Andrew