Can't get ASIO driver to work with S/PDIF input

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
November 14, 2016
1 reply
6197 views

This is an Adobe Audition CS6 question. I've installed a new internal sound card in my Windows 10 PC. It has an optical S/PDIF input (and output). I am trying to record audio from a BD player using this optical input and the sound card's ASIO driver. But CS6 won't let me - it sees the sound card's ASIO driver, sure, but when I select it, I get the old "Device could not be opened" error message and CS6 won't start. I can only record by flipping over to MME and using the sound card's S/PDIF input offered under that heading.

I have a theory as to why I can't use the sound card's ASIO driver. I think it's because Audition is a player AND a recorder and it won't function with any ASIO driver unless input and output are both connected to the same device.

Is that right?

I don't have any problem using the sound card's ASIO driver when playing back with JRiver using the sound card's driver. But my theory is that that's because JRiver is only a playback app.

Here's a link to the soundcard I'm using:

StarTech PEXSOUND7CH

This topic has been closed for replies.

SteveG_AudioMasters_

Community Expert

What bit rate are you recording at? If it works with MME, then there's a good chance that Microsoft is doing an on-the-fly sample rate conversion it's not telling you about. A rate mismatch would be all it takes; it's unlikely to be sync-related, as Audition can choose where it gets its sync from. If my idea is correct, it will already be getting it from the correct input - just not at an appropriate rate.

R

richard-ec2Author

Inspiring

Thank you very much for answering.

I'm trying to record 176.4 kHz. (It's the DSD layer of an SACD, converted on the fly to PCM at 176.4 kHz, 24 bits, before it leaves the Blu-ray player.)

The PCM stream comes out of the HDMI output of the Blu-ray player. Then it goes into an HDMI de-embedder. Then it comes out of the optical output of the de-embedder, still at 176.4 kHz, and into the optical input of my PC where it is received by the StarTech sound card at 176.4 kHz. I have opened a new Audition file with the resolution set at 176.4 kHz, 24 bits.

I know you'll think this chain is a bit crazy but I've used it many times before with complete success using an external sound card connected to the PC by USB. And also, it works completely successfully right now, using MME. So I know the chain is OK.

I think the problem is:

a) Audition can't see an ASIO device that is connected only by an optical SPDIF cable, and therefore it thinks no ASIO device is connected and therefore it sends an error message. Or,

b) It CAN see the ASIO device connected by SPDIF but it refuses to acknowledge it because it can only see an input for the device and not an output, and therefore it doesn't feel it has proper control of the device and therefore it sends an error message.

I should also mention that I have another ASIO device connected to the PC by USB, which Audition is able to see and use. Of course, the obvious thing to do is to disconnect that other device and get it out of the way. But if I do that, I can't even open ASIO in the Device Class options at all! Which, in my view, does tend to confirm that Audition simply can't see an ASIO device connected only by SPDIF. It knows it's there because it's in the list of ASIO devices, but if you try to select it, Audition behaves as if the device were not switched on.

To put it simply:should Audition be capable of seeing an ASIO device connected only by an SPDIF cable, and even then, only by an input cable and not an output?

ryclark

Participating Frequently

I downloaded a free DAW called Wavepad and that worked flawlessly with my SPDIF input too. So I'm ready to call Adobe out on this one. Unless or until anyone can demonstrate otherwise, there is a bug in Audition CS6 as follows:

Audition CS6 will not open any ASIO device if Audition CS6 is connected to the device only by a single SPDIF cable (either input or output). ASIO will only work with SPDIF if you are able to connect an input AND output cable to the SAME device.

Notes:

1. This bug has been corrected in Audition CC. Audition CC will play or record using only a single SPDIF connection..

2. The bug does not apply to MME recording/playback in CS6. Only ASIO.

3. The bug does not affect USB recording/playback in CS6. Only SPDIF.

I would be extremely happy if someone can prove me wrong but if not, I'm going to have to use a different DAW to record in ASIO via SPDIF. I wish I could buy CC but there's no way I'll sign up to a subscription model so I'll either invest in something else or just carry on with CS6 and use Wavepad or another free DAW for SPDIF recording.

I was referring to the source of the Sample Rate's master clock rather than matching the Sample Rate itself. When using MME drivers in Audition you with certain audio interfaces you can select either the Input or Output as wordclock master. So if you were feeding in an external SPDIF source with the audio driver set to Output for master clock then things wouldn't work properly. You would need to set the external Input as master. But by connecting input and output the external device would be clock synched to the audio interfaces internal clock. Do the card manufacturers supply any software control app with the ASIO drivers?

There have been changes in the audio engine between CS6 and CC which might mean that Audition can now automatically sync to the correct clocking signal via ASIO or sample rate convert so that there isn't a problem. Unfortunately the drivers for your audio card seem to be supplied by Creative Audio who have rather a poor reputation when it comes to supplying ASIO drivers that work correctly.

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