open soundcard drivers in more than 1 application

[ejac]

Hi,

I would like to know if there are soundcard drivers out there that can be opened by 2 applications at the same time.

I'm asking this because of the traktor routing in ableton problem (win xp 32). If I use the tutorial by Bento San I cant get decent latency (not tried the JACK thingy yet).

One other problem is using asio4all, it can route audio to WDM drivers and to the virtual soundcable, but not to my asio drivers...
(I guess the main reason for asio4all is to use it because you dont have asio drivers)

Asio4all is a driverlike program and CAN be opened by 2 processes at the same time, so i guess its not impossible to build such a driver.

I was hoping that the RME Fireface 400/800 could do it, as it has extended routing capabilities. But I asked on some forum (in dutch) and they said it was not possible... (but without any references or other kind of "proof")

1)So can ppl in here confirm that the RME fireface card cant solve the problem on its own?

2)And maybe point me to a soundcard (driver) that can do the job?


Furthemore, i read in the comments of the tutorial article that on the NI forum someone could succeed doing it with the NI Audio 8 DJ soundcard by physically routing outputs to inputs. But afaik this requires that the driver is opened by 2 applications at the same time, so 3) I'm wondering if someone can confirm or refute this statement?

[BentoSan]

1) No soundcard drivers can be opened by more than one application at a time

2) JackDMP

3) That wont work as the audio 8 cant be opened by more than one application at a time.

[ejac]

ok thx very much, I'll have to give jackdmp a go then.
I have some linux programming experience, so I should be able to pull it off.

Another solution I'm thinking of, inspired by richie and chris liebing, is to use an external mixer. The xone 92 in their cases with phenomenal send return capabilities (the xone 4bands eq on the return channel with a good fader). And use a second sound card and route it through the send-return. It's a nice solution but a little to expensive atm

[BentoSan]

ok thx very much, I'll have to give jackdmp a go then.
I have some linux programming experience, so I should be able to pull it off.

Another solution I'm thinking of, inspired by richie and chris liebing, is to use an external mixer. The xone 92 in their cases with phenomenal send return capabilities (the xone 4bands eq on the return channel with a good fader). And use a second sound card and route it through the send-return. It's a nice solution but a little to expensive atm

Why not mix inside of Ableton? Ableton is very able. Ableton's send/return cabilities are even better than the zone mixer. Also you will have less latency.

[ejac]

Yes you're right, I should give it a honest chance.

I once tried a few years back, but then I didn't like the sound of the eq (music sounded different when you enable or disable the effect while no gain was applied), and it was way to much hassle to warp the songs I had then (they didnt really have a constant bpm).

also i put considerable effort in my traktor collection, playlists and id3 tags. Things ableton doesnt really provide afaik. When i get my hands on ableton 8 I'm sure to give it another go

[BentoSan]

Yes you're right, I should give it a honest chance.

I once tried a few years back, but then I didn't like the sound of the eq (music sounded different when you enable or disable the effect while no gain was applied), and it was way to much hassle to warp the songs I had then (they didnt really have a constant bpm).

also i put considerable effort in my traktor collection, playlists and id3 tags. Things ableton doesnt really provide afaik. When i get my hands on ableton 8 I'm sure to give it another go

You know all hardware EQ's colour the sound - so even if you get a zone 92 its going to colour the sound with the EQ's. That colouring of the sound is just Ableton replicating analogue equipment.

[tekki]

I do think Xone mixers have quite a beautiful sound to them.

Sometimes I fear that using software for EQ-ing, some frequencies will be played to pure, therefore it could have a negative effect to the music.

Might sound strange, but you might want to compare this to listening to music on hifi speakers for relaxation, or listening to music through active nearfields for relaxation.