Audio Stream Input/Output: Difference between revisions

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m (This looks good, except do not consistently use wikipedia as reference and I don't see what Creative has to do with ASIO? There can be zero latency monitoring depending upon the card.)
m (... a paragraph was duplicated also.)
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'''ASIO''' (Audio Stream Input Output) is a low latency audio application programming interface designed by Steinberg for high speed communications between audio hardware and software, such as the the interaction between MIDI Controllers and MIDI Sequencers needed by musicians and studio engineers. ASIO can be used to access multiple sound I/O simultanously.
'''ASIO''' (Audio Stream Input Output) is a low latency audio application programming interface designed by Steinberg for high speed communications between audio hardware and software, such as the the interaction between MIDI Controllers and MIDI Sequencers needed by musicians and studio engineers. ASIO can be used to access multiple sound I/O simultanously.


==How ASIO Works==
==Realtime Recording/Playback==
In order to create a more direct path to the hardware, and also make the hardware more responsive to the software's needs, Steinberg of Germany (developer of the popular Cubase MIDI sequencer and Nuendo digital audio workstation) developed Audio Stream In/Out (ASIO) technology. ASIO has made its mark as the driver standard for delivering low-latency transfer of digital audio. This means that hardware supporting an ASIO driver is able to deliver low-latency recording and monitoring to hard disk.
In order to create a more direct path to the hardware, and also make the hardware more responsive to the software's needs, Steinberg of Germany (developer of the popular Cubase MIDI sequencer and Nuendo digital audio workstation) developed Audio Stream In/Out (ASIO) technology. ASIO has made its mark as the driver standard for delivering low-latency transfer of digital audio. This means that hardware supporting an ASIO driver is able to deliver low-latency recording and monitoring to hard disk.


The low latency made possible by ASIO, for example, allows you to sing into a microphone and hear your voice going through software and hardware effects with virtually no delay in the signal. The effects of a low-latency ASIO driver make it ideal for use with Virtual Studio Technology (VST) instruments, plug-ins, and all other software-based synthesizers. Many of these devices can be played back in real time from MIDI output devices. The low latency made possible by ASIO, for example, allows you to sing into a Microphone and hear your voice going through software and hardware effects with virtually no delay in the signal. The effects of a low-latency ASIO driver make it ideal for use with Virtual Studio Technology (VST) instruments, plug-ins, and all other software-based synthesizers. Many of these devices can be played back in real time from MIDI output devices
The low latency made possible by ASIO, for example, allows you to sing into a microphone and hear your voice going through software and hardware effects with virtually no delay in the signal. The effects of a low-latency ASIO driver make it ideal for use with Virtual Studio Technology (VST) instruments, plug-ins, and all other software-based synthesizers. Many of these devices can be played back in real time from MIDI output devices.  


After Steinberg was bought by a seperate company, they released the SDK (Developement Kit) to the public free of charge on their website. There have been several attempts made by 3rd party developers to write drivers in order to bring ASIO to all consumer grade soundcards ''(see asio4all)''. There has been a seperate plugin written for Foobar2000 allowing users with access to ASIO to use it for other purposes, mainly low-latency kernel streaming ''[http://www.foobar2000.com/components/foo_out_asio.zip (see foo_out_asio)]''.   
After Steinberg was bought by a seperate company, they released the SDK (Developement Kit) to the public free of charge on their website. There have been several attempts made by 3rd party developers to write drivers in order to bring ASIO to all consumer grade soundcards ''(see asio4all)''. There has been a seperate plugin written for Foobar2000 allowing users with access to ASIO to use it for other purposes, mainly low-latency kernel streaming ''[http://www.foobar2000.com/components/foo_out_asio.zip (see foo_out_asio)]''.   

Revision as of 22:49, 13 October 2006

ASIO (Audio Stream Input Output) is a low latency audio application programming interface designed by Steinberg for high speed communications between audio hardware and software, such as the the interaction between MIDI Controllers and MIDI Sequencers needed by musicians and studio engineers. ASIO can be used to access multiple sound I/O simultanously.

Realtime Recording/Playback

In order to create a more direct path to the hardware, and also make the hardware more responsive to the software's needs, Steinberg of Germany (developer of the popular Cubase MIDI sequencer and Nuendo digital audio workstation) developed Audio Stream In/Out (ASIO) technology. ASIO has made its mark as the driver standard for delivering low-latency transfer of digital audio. This means that hardware supporting an ASIO driver is able to deliver low-latency recording and monitoring to hard disk.

The low latency made possible by ASIO, for example, allows you to sing into a microphone and hear your voice going through software and hardware effects with virtually no delay in the signal. The effects of a low-latency ASIO driver make it ideal for use with Virtual Studio Technology (VST) instruments, plug-ins, and all other software-based synthesizers. Many of these devices can be played back in real time from MIDI output devices.

After Steinberg was bought by a seperate company, they released the SDK (Developement Kit) to the public free of charge on their website. There have been several attempts made by 3rd party developers to write drivers in order to bring ASIO to all consumer grade soundcards (see asio4all). There has been a seperate plugin written for Foobar2000 allowing users with access to ASIO to use it for other purposes, mainly low-latency kernel streaming (see foo_out_asio).

See also

External links

  • ASIO SDK official Steinberg website of the SDK developement package
  • asio4all website of the German 3rd party developement effort and universal WDM drivers.