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[QUOTE=Elephas]I use a PC with an RME HDSP 9632 sound card. Playing ALAC on iTunes, the Windows k-mixer is not active and output is 44.1 kHz.
[/QUOTE]This is a quote from a HeadFi forum which raised a bunch of questions for me...
Boy, this Kmixer thing has me going in circles. I thought that iTunes used Kmixer no matter what. I use iTunes with my M-Audio Audiophile Usb using the SPDIF out to a Scott Nixon DAC. In the Sounds and Audio Devices control panel the volume control is greyed out. At first I thought that this meant that I had somehow bypassed Kmixer however if I go to Services and stop Kmixer I then get no sound. Go figure. I have never gotten Foobar/ASIO to work using the M-Audio. It crashes. iTunes with ALAC sounds pretty good but leaves the Kmixer question open.
I recently purchased a new Scott Nixon USB DAC. I tried it with Foobar 8.3 and Asio4All and it works and sounds MUCH better than the same music in iTunes. I used some WAV files ripped in EAC. The weird thing is that with this new USB DAC the volume control now shows in the Sounds and Audio Devices control panel even though I am using Asio with Foobar. I guess that ASIO still bypasses Windows Sound ie. kMixer? The volume control also shows in iTunes no matter which DAC I use even when it does not show in the control panel. An early pre-sales email reply from Scott Nixon said that the USB DAC does not use Kmixer but this does not really seem to be true. The SN DAC does sound quite good by the way...
The real question is how the H*** do you know when you have successfully bypassed Kmixer? I like the convenience of iTunes but I want the best sound possible. I have been reading this forum since it began but the Kmixer issue never seems to be clear for me.
Any ideas, pointers, web links?
Thanks a lot,
Paul
Follow Ups:
Even if you are using TRUE ASIO playback software/hardware, kmixer will stick its' ugly head in the door if you select your hardware device under "Windows Audio Properties": "Default Playback Device".Select a different device OTHER than your ASIO device for the "Default Playback Device" and voila - windows no longer controls the volume (aka no kmixer) because it is now associated with the OTHER device you have selected.
Cheers,
P
I went through this whole screwed up mess of windows programs with plug ins trying to use my pc as a music server never knowing if I had things set up optimally, and as far as I can tell you never will know.I gave up and bought a Mac Mini and use iTunes. Best decision I ever made.
Hi,There are two methods to bypass the Windows mixer: Window's Kernel Streaming, and ASIO. ASIO4ALL does NOT support ASIO, nor does it any way use ASIO.
ASIO4ALL is designed for sound cards that do not support ASIO in the soundcard's driver, but do support Window's Kernel Streaming. ASIO4All serves as a middleman between software that supports ASIO, and your source card driver's support of Kernel Streaming.
So, the path for music using ASIO4ALL is: Playback software selecting ASIO output --> ASIO4ALL --> Windows Kernel Streaming --> Hardware Driver Supporting Kernel Streaming --> Hardware.
True ASIO takes a more direct path: Playback Software selecting ASIO Output --> ASIO --> Hardware Driver Support ASIO --> Hardware.
Unlike ASIO, Kernel Streaming can be subject to modification via various filters within Windows (link provided with more info).
So, if you can do it, there might be some benefit in using ASIO since it is a simpler data path with less opportunity for modification prior to being processed by your sound card's driver.
Lynn
Wow! Thanks for the information and also for kicking out the last splinter of understanding I had :-)I went to the ASIO4All web site and read the FAQ just to confirm my new bewilderment. You are correct. I wonder why they even use ASIO in the name. I also read that Microsoft page on Kernal Streaming. It sounds less evil than Kmixer but I am still hot to get ASIO running if possible. I am going to put more effort into getting the straight ASIO driver working with the SN USB DAC and see where I end up.
Perhaps I am just rationalizing my own ignorance but I am starting to see this side of the hobby as still being in it's infancy. Even so I am still getting the best sound I ever had using PCAudio instaed of a transport.
Best,
Paul
I've been a little confused about it myself, Paul, but allow me to share what I think is going on, and then others can either agree or correct me.The way I figured it, iTunes DOES NOT use the KMixer no matter what. As long as your sound card comes with an ASIO driver (such as my M-Audio Transit) then you can use DirectSound and still bypass the KMixer. But here's the key. All volume settings must be set to max (including the one in iTunes).
In order to prove this, you have to verify bit-perfect playback. The best way I know how to prove this, is by playing an encoded file such as HDCD or DTS. These formats play 16/44.1 but the filter code (for HDCD or DTS) is encoded in the least significant bit. If any DSP or KMixer touches it, than you will hear nothing but static. I was able to play a DTS WAV file from iTunes (using DirectSound) connected to a Denon DTS capable reciever. But as soon as I dropped the volume below 100% in iTunes, I heard static. That's when the KMixer kicked in.
However, as you also mentioned, another point of mystery to me is that playing a file through foobar with ASIO does seem to sound better (and still keeps the DTS file intact).
-EDWARD
Thanks for the reply Edward.How did you get iTunes to use ASIO? was it via that plugin for iTunes that piggybacks on Foobar2000? When I tried it I got an error saying that it could not find Foobar even though I had version 8.3 installed.
Any ideas?
---"How did you get iTunes to use ASIO?"---As long as you have the M-Audio ASIO driver installed, then you can use "DirectSound" with iTunes (which is actually set in the QuickTime control panel). In fact, this will work with Windows Media Player as well. As long as the volume settings are set to max, you will still achieve bit-perfect playback with DirectSound.
The only reason to use ASIO4ALL is when the sound card does not have a native ASIO driver. And in this case, your music player (such as foobar) must support ASIO output. But as you quoted in your original post from the guy using an RME sound card - he is using the native ASIO drivers from RME. Therefore he is true in saying he can play from iTunes (using DirectSound) and the KMixer is not active.
So the question is - does your Scott Nixon DAC come with an ASIO driver? In foobar, after you've selected ASIO as the output mode, then click on settings and see if the SN DAC shows up in "Devices". If not, then you'll have to use ASIO4ALL. If it is there, then it has an ASIO driver and then you can use iTunes if you prefer.
-EDWARD
Wow, Edward, thanks for the helpful clarification on this. Based on what you've just explained, I mean for those like myself who need hand-holding, would you say that the following set of instructions are correct? This is what my office-mate explained to me -- and I'm thinking it is the same as what you're saying but I'm not sure.Make sure Replay Radio, Replay Music and iTunes are closed.
Open QuickTime via Start, Programs, QuickTime, QuickTime Player.
Select Edit, Preferences, QuickTime Preferences.
Go to the tab marked Audio.
Verify that Safe mode (waveOut only) is selected.
Click the Select Audio Playback and Recording Devices button to open your windows audio control panel. Set both devices to match the name of your sound card. Click OK.
Click OK in the Quick Time settings, then close QuickTime.
---"Verify that Safe mode (waveOut only) is selected.---Actually, this is the opposite of what I'm saying. In order to enable DirectSound output, you need to have "waveout only" DESELECTED.
-EDWARD
Thanks, Edward. I'll give this a try tonight.
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