I am experiencing difficulty with the installation of my Xonar Essence ST audio card (the standard PCI version) on my Windows 7 32-bit system. I can not bring up the Xonar Audio Center, which is the graphic user interface for the Essence card. The manual states that there should be a Xonar icon on the task bar, but there is none, and I can not find the Audio Center in my list of programs. I used Windows Explorer to try to find it without success. The card produces audio, and it shows up in the Windows device manager, but the Audio Center does not appear to have been installed. One of the reasons I purchased this card is to have the control that the GUI offers, so I hope that some tech-savvy diyaudio members can offer some help.
This was my installation procedure:
I downloaded the driver from the Asus support site (I got the 7.12.8.1794 version, dated 3/10/2011). This is a compressed .rar file which I opened with the 7-Zip extractor. I disabled the onboard audio in the BIOS and then installed the physical card. I then installed the driver.
Can anyone offer suggestions as to how I might obtain the Xonar Audio Center to control my Essence ST card?
This was my installation procedure:
I downloaded the driver from the Asus support site (I got the 7.12.8.1794 version, dated 3/10/2011). This is a compressed .rar file which I opened with the 7-Zip extractor. I disabled the onboard audio in the BIOS and then installed the physical card. I then installed the driver.
Can anyone offer suggestions as to how I might obtain the Xonar Audio Center to control my Essence ST card?
Try the latest beta drivers.
http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Audio_Card/Xonar_Essence_ST/PCI_ST_7_0_8_1821_Win7.rar
I seem to remember having that trouble at one point but looked on the HDD for the location of the GUI exe and just set it to run on start-up. Problem solved.
http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Audio_Card/Xonar_Essence_ST/PCI_ST_7_0_8_1821_Win7.rar
I seem to remember having that trouble at one point but looked on the HDD for the location of the GUI exe and just set it to run on start-up. Problem solved.
It came with the drivers I downloaded? The beta version above redoes the colour scheme for it too.
downloaded beta drivers for win 8.1 works fine , just search for GUI start / programs / asus sonar essence
Thanks to all. I did try the 1821 driver, but that did not help. I tried two versions of the Uni Xonar driver, but that did not help. Each time I uninstalled the old drivers and restarted the computer, but I can not get the Audio Center to come up. I also found that the headphone jack does not work. Only the analog RCA outputs are functional.
I knew that other users had experienced problems installing this card with the Asus drivers, but my research led me to believe that I could use the methods that others had devised to work around the problems. Oh, what an innocent I was!
At this point, I think I may have to adopt a scorched earth approach: wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows, and then try the Uni Xonar drivers, which appear to have the reputation of being more reliable than those direct from Asus. I'll post my results when I do it.
I knew that other users had experienced problems installing this card with the Asus drivers, but my research led me to believe that I could use the methods that others had devised to work around the problems. Oh, what an innocent I was!
At this point, I think I may have to adopt a scorched earth approach: wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows, and then try the Uni Xonar drivers, which appear to have the reputation of being more reliable than those direct from Asus. I'll post my results when I do it.
Do you have the Molex power connector on the Xonar board connected ?
Do the relays on the board 'click' during installation of the drivers ?
Before you re install Windows try deleting the ALL driver files.
For some strange reason I have often had to install the drivers three or four time to get them to work.
Do the relays on the board 'click' during installation of the drivers ?
Before you re install Windows try deleting the ALL driver files.
For some strange reason I have often had to install the drivers three or four time to get them to work.
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I am back to Square One. I reinstalled Windows and then tried the Uni Xonar drivers, which, unfortunately, would not install. I installed the latest Asus drivers which still give me the two analog RCA outputs, but the headphone and digital outputs are not recognized by my system and do not function.
I bought the Essence ST because I record and produce music on my home system and wanted an audio card which was higher quality than onboard computer audio. I had originally intended to install it on my Windows XP system to be used as a mixing and mastering monitor rig. For various reasons I did not install it for some time, and then my XP system motherboard failed. I had a second computer (the Windows 7 system), so I decided to use that as the mixing/mastering system and build a new computer for tracking. One of the reasons I bought the Essence ST was to have the EQ function of the Audio Center software to adjust the response of my monitors (I don't monitor at a very high level of loudness, so I need to compensate for the Fletcher Munson curve on my computer monitors. I then check the results on other sound systems).
Does anyone have actual hands-on experience with other sound cards that are similar in performance and price to the Xonar Essence ST? I need something with good digital-to-analog conversion, equalization control software, and stable drivers for Windows 7. I have checked out the Omega Claro Halo, which looks promising, but I would appreciate reports from actual users. The card can be PCI or PCIe.
Again, thanks to all.
I bought the Essence ST because I record and produce music on my home system and wanted an audio card which was higher quality than onboard computer audio. I had originally intended to install it on my Windows XP system to be used as a mixing and mastering monitor rig. For various reasons I did not install it for some time, and then my XP system motherboard failed. I had a second computer (the Windows 7 system), so I decided to use that as the mixing/mastering system and build a new computer for tracking. One of the reasons I bought the Essence ST was to have the EQ function of the Audio Center software to adjust the response of my monitors (I don't monitor at a very high level of loudness, so I need to compensate for the Fletcher Munson curve on my computer monitors. I then check the results on other sound systems).
Does anyone have actual hands-on experience with other sound cards that are similar in performance and price to the Xonar Essence ST? I need something with good digital-to-analog conversion, equalization control software, and stable drivers for Windows 7. I have checked out the Omega Claro Halo, which looks promising, but I would appreciate reports from actual users. The card can be PCI or PCIe.
Again, thanks to all.
They don't function by default, you have to turn them on, or switch to them. As lduarte1973 mentions, you have to search for the executable directly. It is installed, it's just not set to run on start up for some reason.
It should be in program files\ASUS Xonar Essence ST Audio\Customapp
load the Asusaudiocenter
Or you could just do a search for Asusaudiocenter in program files and it'd show up that way.
This is with the beta driver.
It should be in program files\ASUS Xonar Essence ST Audio\Customapp
load the Asusaudiocenter
Or you could just do a search for Asusaudiocenter in program files and it'd show up that way.
This is with the beta driver.
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