Hey Steinberg,
The low-latency generic ASIO driver has been hit-and-miss for a long time.
How come Steinberg hasn’t updated it and provided a proper, fully functional, robust ASIO driver that supports all sample rates and can be properly configured on the latest Win OS when all your software requires it?
For example, I can not playback 88K through my Realtek digital output using your driver. For a long time, I had to resort to ASIO4ALL to accomplish that, but now ASIO4ALL is not recognizing it on Windows 11.
It makes no sense that we should resort to drivers like ASIO4ALL or other universal ASIO drivers to use Steinberg’s products when you invented the ASIO protocol! It can’t get more ironic than that.
Are there plans to update your generic ASIO driver or build a better one from scratch?
I know this is annoying, but you really should rely on the drivers of the manufacturer of the audio interface. They are the ones that should supply a great low-latency driver. If they don’t then you really should get a better interface or use one from a better company.
When I use my external audio interfaces, they work perfectly as they operate with their ASIO drivers.
However, I don’t use an external interface for 99% of my work (that doesn’t require audio recording). My speakers have D/A converters, so I go out digital directly from my computer. I can not use any of those hardware ASIO drivers in that instance.
Today, I installed FlexASIO, enabling me to play back 88k without an external interface.
But the whole point is that we shouldn’t have to hunt for those. Steinberg is way overdue to release a solid ASIO driver.
I gotta be honest: I’m not sure I even understand why you would expect Steinberg to provide an ASIO driver for whatever audio device it is you’re using when you’re not using an external audio interface. MattiasNYC’s point stands: when you’re using your speakers, there’s still some kind of audio interface involved, so why don’t you hit them up for a driver? I use Steinberg’s UR-RT4 and my newer AXR4U and find their ASIO drivers for both to be rock solid.
Steinberg software should work seamlessly without any external audio interface and with built-in audio devices on any PC.
I am talking about an audio “interface” that comes on 99% of all PC motherboards. As recommended by the mobo manufacturer, I use Realtek drivers. It all works perfectly for playing any audio within the OS. I can play back any supported audio file format at any supported sample rate using a Windows’ Media Player, for example.
Imagine for a moment that I have no external audio interfaces: just my computer with its built-in audio. Speakers are connected digitally directly to the computer via SPDIF.
It is not possible to play Cubase projects in 88K out of the box.
So, what audio driver are you going to select in this instance?
I think the problem is that a good driver needs to take into account how the hardware and firmware works, not just the OS. So imagine literally ALL interfaces and OS combinations out there and I think it’s clear that it’s a substantial task to provide individual drivers for each interface, and likely impossible to provide a generic driver that is efficient on all interfaces.
Consider if Realtek changes something and you lose some functionality - should Steinberg drop everything its doing and recode just to satisfy Realtek customers? And then multiply that with all other interfaces.
Yeah, again, your expectation itself is wildly off base. Steinberg invented ASIO in the first place to allow professional-quality audio to work with Windows. This is why most (if not all?) professional audio interfaces provide ASIO drivers for Windows. But the Realtek chipset on your motherboard is not professional audio hardware, nor is it even Steinberg’s design or responsibility. If you want to complain about somebody not providing ASIO drivers, complain that Realtek doesn’t provide you with professional-quality ASIO audio drivers for their non-professional motherboard chipset. Which is a bit like griping that your moped doesn’t come with the auto-drive feature enjoyed by all the Teslas passing you on the road, and then complaining that Tesla’s at fault for not providing software for said moped.
I have had issues with Asio4all in all the years I have used it and I never had it working with my wireless bleutooth headphones. Then FlexAsio came to the rescue and my life is now complete. Check it out seriously
@MattiasNYC
And yet again, countless users have been using ASIO4ALL for a wide range of OS and computer configurations for years. Not only does it usually work with computer-built-in audio chipsets, but has been able to combine external audio interfaces from various manufacturers to be used right inside Cubase.
How come this individual developer has been able to achieve this with a seldom-updated driver, yet it is somehow mission impossible for Steinberg to bring their Low Latency Generic ASIO Driver on par?
@Phileosophos Your comparison of a moped to Tesla is a false equivalence. A better comparison would be owning a Tesla and not being able to find a charger that fits its charging port.
Really? You think a Realtek chipset is comparable to a professional quality audio interface? I’m sorry, but not only are your expectations wildly misplaced, but your understanding of the differences in audio hardware is similarly incorrect.
Well, the current situation would lead me to believe that Steinberg is simply not interested in getting Realtek hardware working well. They rather spend the time, that it would take to redo the driver, on something else.
I agree with you, though. An advanced version of the Generic ASIO driver would be most welcome.
Just a kind reminder to everybody: This kind of driver does not support any hardware directly. It is rather a bridge between ASIO and the OS’ audio system (WDM, WASAPI, or whatever else MS calls it).
Points for improvement:
support for any sample rate
support for surround sound
ability to address different devices simultaneously (resampling?) => aggregate device
correct handling of Windows’ Exclusive and Non-Exclusive mode
If you sell a product for 99€ don’'t be surprised if your customers don’t have professional hardware.
I don’t think so. I shouldn’t need to depend on 3rd party free solutions or external audio devices to simply play back projects at 88K sample rate in Steinberg software I have been paying for over a decade.
Wrong again. You need to depend on the manufacturers of the hardware you are using to provide drivers that work in the situations you want them to work in.
Once again, its not Steinberg’s job to write everyone’s hardware drivers for them. Steinberg provided an API that lays out all the groundwork and rules for making it so, its Realtek’s job to follow it and make their hardware work with Cubase.
What next, its Apple’s job to write all the audio drivers for every interface for CoreAudio too?
You can download Wavelab Cast from the Download Manager and install the Steinberg Driver that comes with it, which is more advanced than the Generic ASIO driver.
Which Daw works good with generic drivers? I don’t know any especially on a Windows machine. If you want a steady audio driver use an audio interface. You will never find a generic one especially at that high sample rate using a cheap built in audio card to work properly.
Well, actually, there is a Realtek ASIO driver that receives high praise from those who use it. Either go to your MB support site and search for it there or just Google it.