I'm still considering buying the u2i the only thing holding me back is that i want to be able to play movies with MPC-HC and watch TV using DVBViewer both are not ASIO compatible. I would need some software for it to do MME/WDM > ASIO. Does something like this exists?
What about Virtual Audio Cable? does exaU2I support this ?
On the website of VAC they say it is ASIO compatible, did any one test this? It should show up in the audiorepeater software from VAC.
Egberttheone,
I've been working closely with the people from NTONYX and I am about to release a beta exaU2I software for use with Virtual Audio Cable (VAC). It works with up to 8 channels / 192kHz. VAC supports WASAPI mode. The beta driver will be available for download within 2-3 days. On our systems it works fine with Windows Media Center, Windows Media Player, MPC-HC, and VLC.
The new VAC-exa combo is called exaU2I Dashboard. You can see screenshots of the user interface here: Using exaU2I USB-I2S 384 kHz/32bit Eight Channel Transceiver with AlbumPlayer. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.
Cheers,
exa065
I have tested the AlbumPlayer on Windows 7 in virtual mode...
The AlbumPlayer are not able to play 352.8k or 384k when run in virtual mode.
I also banged in to several bugs that caused the AlbumPlayer to crash...
And also crash Windows 7 so I needed to reboot...
This happened when I tried to configure the ASIO drivers...
All sorts of strange things happened when I tried to use the exaU2I in 8 channel, 4 channel and 2 channel mode..
No audio - audio at the double pitch - audio at the half pitch - "hacking" audio - and crashing AlbumPlayer and DLL errors that only would stop by rebooting Windows 7. Some of the error messages that popped up by some DLL error was of the real old Windows fashion and got me thinking of Windows98..
And also the unrecoverable nature of the errors got me thinking of "old" stuff..
AlbumPlayer was only tested with music from a local drive as the crashing and bugs was to irritating to be tolerated :-(
As AlbumPlayer are buggy and you get unrecoverable crashes both from DLL´s and AlbumPlayer itself and also misses the possibility to optimize the buffering levels I would be cautious...
With Foobar2000 I only have had "problems" with "hacking" audio when using virtual mode and only with 352.8k/384k played from a NAS - no other strange things and absolutely no crashing.
With Foobar2000 I only needed to adjust the buffer levels and then it worked OK with all samplerates and bit depths also when playing music from a NAS.
Attached some pictures of Foobar2000 run in virtual mode..
EDIT: Maybe the new (not available) exaU2I DashBoard would have improved the ASIO problems,
but I had no chance to test this...
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In the screen shots above I use the skin "Columns UI" downloaded from the Foobar2000 site..
I have also downloaded and installed the Apple Lossless decoder DLL so Foobar2000 can play / use my iTunes library directly.
Most of my iTunes library are in (352.8k/32bit) AIFF format and plays directly without any additional DLL´s.
As it may be seen from the screen shots I have disabled Aero in Windows 7 due to when I run Windows 7 virtual on a OS X system I also use VNC to remote control the Foobar2000 app with a MacBook Air or a IPad...
As I am able to play with the exaU2I on a OS X platform I have reached the first milestone...
The next step are either OS X drivers for the exaU2I or another USB -> I2S board as I want as soon as possible to completely get rid of the Windows issues.
Thus I do not want to waste more time on Windows - the frustrating testing of the AlbumPlayer was the very final nail in the Windows coffin
I´ll take 2 , just to get the pre-orders going
2-0 to Norway! oH
best
Leif
With OS X drivers included I would also have pre-order a board or two..
That is great news, now you can also use it for less audiophile needs. And programs that do not support ASIO
RayCtech,
Running exaU2I from virtual Windows is an extreme sport. I am surprised that it works so well for you. I am sure that most players won't survive this test. AlbumPlayer provides nice user interface for people that are not interested to customize Foobar. Foobar is definitely more stable and more versatile. It has huge installment base and community support.
For people using normal Windows environment AlbumPlayer presents a unique set of features, like touch-screen optimized user interface. It is a valuable environment for using exaU2I.
The new exaU2I Dashboard brings compatibility with mainstream Windows applications. WDM will not outperform ASIO - that's why it was the first choice for us.
Cheers,
exa065
I´ll take 2 , just to get the pre-orders going
2-0 to Norway! oH
best
Leif
2-0, 4-0 - Norway is leading the way again.
Thank you, Leif
Here's my schematic of how to interface the AD1862 with the exaU2I, with variable delay flip flops as suggested by Marek. I'll appreciate any comments on the schematic. The AD1862 uses only the bitclock, and no separate master clock. Without oversampling and with a 192 kHz signal it will run at 11,28 MHz. Is this assumption correct?
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You know it is interesting, around our conversation centered on exa board we explored a lots of different players for OSX and Windows. Let me add something to it and share some of my experience and frustrations.
In my system I have to use crossover that is ether applied as a VST or is run as stand alone VSP app. Preferred player is the one that has memory play.
But my frustration is, if you just want simply to put CD in the player and play that in addition to your ripped files, that is not going to work with favorite memory player. Or if you want to play streaming audio, that is not going to work with that particular player ether.
So you need few players for that task. But than if my crossover is implemented in the player, and other player doesn't support VST or AU, than I have no choice. That is so far the case on the OSX. Pure Music has crossover built in, but doesn't support streaming or just simply playing a CD. It is just for ripped files. So if I want to use different player, than I have no crossover on Mac since Allocator is not written for Mac yet. On a PC, it is different problem. If I am running stand alone mode Allocator crossover, than I have to have IN/Out loop which with USB board is not going to work...
So if I could give my suggestion for future development, and I am sure many that are running active set ups, would agree, that having exaBoard act as a VST host would be real deal. That will give a freedom to use any player. Even if you are not running active system, but would like to do a room correction, or use your favorite parametric VST app... Benefits are many if exaBoard is central point where any corrections are applied. And real winner would be, the same - exaBoard as VST host, but on OSX -
Lastly, let me add few good players: Fidelia on OSX, as well as VLC player on both platforms. On PC many people love Cplayer, but man what a spartan app. It is really major pain using it compared to OSX similar memory based apps, but it works and works well. It also supports VST plugins.
In my system I have to use crossover that is ether applied as a VST or is run as stand alone VSP app. Preferred player is the one that has memory play.
But my frustration is, if you just want simply to put CD in the player and play that in addition to your ripped files, that is not going to work with favorite memory player. Or if you want to play streaming audio, that is not going to work with that particular player ether.
So you need few players for that task. But than if my crossover is implemented in the player, and other player doesn't support VST or AU, than I have no choice. That is so far the case on the OSX. Pure Music has crossover built in, but doesn't support streaming or just simply playing a CD. It is just for ripped files. So if I want to use different player, than I have no crossover on Mac since Allocator is not written for Mac yet. On a PC, it is different problem. If I am running stand alone mode Allocator crossover, than I have to have IN/Out loop which with USB board is not going to work...
So if I could give my suggestion for future development, and I am sure many that are running active set ups, would agree, that having exaBoard act as a VST host would be real deal. That will give a freedom to use any player. Even if you are not running active system, but would like to do a room correction, or use your favorite parametric VST app... Benefits are many if exaBoard is central point where any corrections are applied. And real winner would be, the same - exaBoard as VST host, but on OSX -
Lastly, let me add few good players: Fidelia on OSX, as well as VLC player on both platforms. On PC many people love Cplayer, but man what a spartan app. It is really major pain using it compared to OSX similar memory based apps, but it works and works well. It also supports VST plugins.
Certainly, but I cannot find any AU crossover... and Jan of Allocator fame is promising to add OSX support, I am assuming as a VST? But that was promised a long time ago, do not know if it is really going to happen. It is very frustrating trying to put it all together. Pure Music is great but as I explained, trying just a simple task of playing streaming or popping in CD - no go. So what than? Running MacMini under Bootcamp is still maybe best option.
oh yeah i just mentioned it as a solution to move forward into the future, if you were adding functionality to a new product as here. yes the whole allocator thing is annoying. if you know your crossover settings you could use logic audio as a host and bounce the audio stream of whatever you are playing through the mixer with eq applied with waves or similar high quality plugin as an insert.
yeah who knows when he might add mac support and i would hope it isnt vst, as vst on mac is becoming more and more unstable as time marches on, any plugin worth its salt on mac has moved away from vst years ago.
anyway too much ot
yeah who knows when he might add mac support and i would hope it isnt vst, as vst on mac is becoming more and more unstable as time marches on, any plugin worth its salt on mac has moved away from vst years ago.
anyway too much ot
Thanks for the suggestions. I do not think we are off topic, as these challenges are directly related to any computer based system including exa Device as well. I am quite sure there are a lots of non participating observers that are experiencing the same frustrations as I do, and your ideas, I am sure are going to help someone.
cool, ok i was just waiting for someone to tell me i was ot. and btw although logic pro would be ideal, as its mixer channel strips and eq is functional enough by itself to do a good job, but for a cheaper solution, logic express would suffice if you used third party plugins. there are probably cheaper programs again, but logic being an apple product these days is integrated at the core level. hell you could even use a rudimentary mixer control surface, to tweak values in a tactile manner.
btw ipad can be used as a control surface for logic
btw ipad can be used as a control surface for logic
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