Potential Scarlett Solo ASIO Driver Problems - Assistance Needed

[MASSIVELIVEFUN]

I am no stranger to these forums. However, I have just recently made an account because of certain findings that I have discovered and a this thread that has been recently posted:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=506

When I saw this post I was more than inspired to discuss my findings and to get a second opinion about what I should do about my dilemma.

The dilemma that I am facing is an ever increasing push loss within both my VoiceMeeter VAIO & AUX VAIO. This would only happen when my A1 output is my Focusrite USB ASIO, WDM, KS, & MME. No matter what buffer I would use it would only delay the sound cracks that I would inevitably hear during playback of programs and playback of my own recordings. Lowering the buffer closer to zero would only increase the occasional frequency of these cracks. This is extremely similar to what is observed in the link above.

I have also tried all manners of different sample rates & bit resolutions and it doesn't make a difference. The crackling still persisted according to the size of the buffer that I have chosen. I have even chosen buffers like 1024 & 2048 on ASIO, WDM, & MME and it still brought me no solution.

My final experiment is what really convinced me that these Focusrite Drivers are trash and that experiment was my Audio Pain Train that I did to my computer. I did the following:

• 1. Record on a piece of paper the current AUX VAIO push loss and buffers using the AUX VAIO control panel, the push loss being at 14148 and the buffers being at 1.4 million.
  2. Attached only my headphones directly to my computer's speaker and microphone audio jack on the motherboard's back port panel.
  3. Make my Realtek Speakers my A1 output, set it to MME, & at 480 smp, 48000hz, & 24 bit res. (WDM doesn't work on any Realtek Device probably because of this reason: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=417)
  4. Make the AUX VAIO my default device just to test its stability.
  5. Have the AUX output to A1 output device.
  6. Open up 15 tabs of various Youtube videos playing on loop at Max Volume for Maximum Input Levels.
  7. Open up 4 24/7 Twitch Stream Channels at Max Volume for Maximum Input Levels and Heavy Stress on my CPU.
  8. Having Ulletical's CSGO Benchmark Custom Map run 24/7 using in game scripts that I have made while having the game on Max Volume for Maximum Input Levels & even MORE Stress on my CPU.
  9. Having step 5 through 7 run for approximately over 3 days of run time.
  10. Finally, record and observe the push loss from the AUX VAIO Control Panel.

After putting my headphones and computer through hell on Earth for three straight days I have discovered that absolutely no push loss has occurred because the push loss remained at 14148. The buffers was at 2 billion samples at the time of recording the second push loss value, so samples were definitely being pushed to my headphones constantly.

So after my totally scientific, but probably flawed testings of the Focusrite USB ASIO Driver I have discovered that no matter what I do with it, it will fail in conjunction with any VoiceMeeter product to some discrepancy. To me this is absolutely unacceptable in terms of what I record. Any cracking audio is a HUGE waste of time because for the cracking to never be there in the first place is what I want from a $100 Audio Interface.

Which leads into my next question which is honestly probably out of the scope of this forum, but I'll wing it.

What other Audio Interfaces for $100 to $200 do you guys recommend. I can't deal with these trash drivers.
I was looking at the M-Audio M-Track 2x2 because of the same price as the Scarlett Solo, but I need a second opinion about the drivers function and reliability.

Honestly, any recommendations of good Audio Interfaces & their Drivers are extremely helpful.

[Vincent Burel]

well, VB-CABLE "push loss" or "pulls loss" counter does not mean that there is always a problem... if permanently increased it just mean that one audio point is not connected or no signal is coming or going into the virual cable...

if you have a problem on user side, please stay focused on it and describe it simply, possibly wit screenshot. (one problem at a time please). Normally we can solve any problem with Focusrite device.

[MASSIVELIVEFUN]

My only problem that I have with my Scarlett Solo is that when push loss occurs there is a audible crack in the playback of recordings and in the headphones.

I got the M-Audio M-Track 2x2 to see if any push loss happens on a reoccurring rate. So far I have heard no cracks or seen the push loss value "grow".

If my Scarlett Solo problems can be solved I am more than happy to be compliant to any information that you may need towards helping me.

Is there any information or observations that you recommend when trying to troubleshoot a problem like this?

EDIT: Okay so I did a hard install of Windows 10 & I went with the Focusrite Beta Drivers 4.36.6.0 this time around, instead of the release drivers.
At 256 buffer I still experience steadily increasing push loss...

[MASSIVELIVEFUN]

Okay so I've discovered that my nvlddmkm.sys driver, or Nvidia driver, is causing a lot of latency.

Could this be the problem of my ASIO drivers messing up?

2018-01-28.png (55.34 KiB) Viewed 16905 times

[MASSIVELIVEFUN]

Okay well I figured out my DPC problems.

My NVIDIA graphics card has a "speed step" in it, that's a type of bios option that people advise turning off when dealing with CPU related drivers and high DPC from them.

Originally I was on "Optimal", but I set it to "Adaptive" and my Nvidia drivers on average go as high as 527 microseconds in terms of DPC.
Pretty manageable when rocking a buffer size of 64 with all that headroom.
A buffer size of 128 would be securing the fact that any recording or playback would never have a "dropout" from the card.

Here's the option in the nvidia control panel, you can specific this behavior on a global basis, or on a program basis.

2018-01-31.png (70.65 KiB) Viewed 16887 times

And here's the DPCs I'm getting now that I've made this change.

2018-01-31 (1).png (44.81 KiB) Viewed 16881 times

HOWEVER, now that I solved that problem I'm still getting push loss associated with clicks so I don't know what's with that.
Especially with the fact that my M-Audio M-Track 2x2 isn't clicking nor causing any push loss to happen.
I solved one problem hoping it would be my saving grace, but apparently not...

[Vincent Burel]

thanks for this information.
having some push loss (1 per minute for example) is possible sometimes with some synchro problem, pending on system + driver + applications connected on...
the next generation of our Virtual cable / virtual i/o will manage this problem in better way.

[MASSIVELIVEFUN]

Thank you for the response. For the time being I'll just use Reaper and Synchronous Audio Router. I did get a response from Focusrite about how the drivers behave, but I'm just waiting on more information.

I'll keep you posted about it.

[Shark-2]

I know that i repeat me, but I think it is exact same Problem as with my ZEDi10. Here the link to my Post.

And here is another one with an similar issue.

Unfortunately no solution yet. At the moment i use voicemeeter only to route my Inputs.

[MASSIVELIVEFUN]

Okay so I used MT32-SPLite with my M-Audio M-Track 2x2 and I observed that at 256 it's ASIO driver gets not timing errors over a span of 6 hours, pretty good in my book. However Voicemeeter VAIO ASIO is having about 20 errors in that same time span.

With my Scarlett Solo the timing errors with 256 is highest at 50% and the VAIO ASIO is about about 175 errors in that same six hour time window.

It seems as though the VAIO ASIO itself is getting timing errors with these two devices.

I do not have pictures because I forgot to capture screenshots, but I wrote down my findings on a stickynote.

ALSO!: I received a response from Focusrite stating that everything in this thread is normal behavior: viewtopic.php?f=11&p=1191&sid=e35440f85 ... 2e4e#p1191

2018-02-05.png (20.59 KiB) Viewed 16825 times

EDIT: As of now I am returning my M-Audio M-Track 2x2 as Synchronous Audio Router works flawlessly with my Scarlett Solo. However, Anti-Cheats such as Battleye block Synchronous Audio Router's ASIO driver from being loaded. Thus no audio from within certain video games that use Battleye.

[MASSIVELIVEFUN]

I may have found a solution to the timing issues.

I recently discovered a Steinberg application named ASIO Multi Server.

With this application I can wrap my sound cards driver into an audio server, then I can have the program recognize specific clients, such as Voicemeeter Banana.

For three days of normal use I have had no pops and cracks, and I still get low latency specified by my soundcard's ASIO driver.

EDIT: Now all I need from Voicemeeter is to route program's audio, so that I don't have to use CheVolume.
Also, I need the Focusrite Drivers to update so that they support multi ASIO, which they told me they were working towards.

Then in the future I can just use Voicemeeter Banana as my ALL-IN-ONE Audio Solution.