Hi,

I currently run Band in a Box and Realband on a Windows 7 (64 bit) i5 HP laptop. The software works very well but I have been having issues with the USB audio interface I have been loaned which is an elderly Edirol ( now Roland) device. This interface works fine unless I use Asio. I have tried both the Edirol driver and Asio4all and Realband freezes and crashes. Looking on the forums it seems that this problem has been experienced by others, but I cannot get a clear view on how to solve it.

I plan to buy a new USB audio interface, any views/experience as to which models work best with Realband? I have no preference as to a device/manufacturer but am keen to minimise/eliminate technical issues so I can focus on using the
products to make music.

I have a mixer so in theory could use this in conjunction with something like a Behringer UCA 222 interface, is this interface stable with Realband/Asio?

Whilst Realband is excellent, particularly because of its Integration with Band in a Box, I will have to switch to an alternative product if I cannot achieve a stable recording
environment, frustrating!

All help and advice much appreciated.

OK first off why do you think you need ASIO?
Asio is only required when:
1. you are using a controller to play a DXi/VSTi in real time
2. Your sound card requires ASIO to access multiple ins/outs.If you don't need multi ins/outs then not an issue to worry about.
The WDM drivers are what to use unless # 1 or 2 is needed.
Yes in theory ASIO should sound better because it bypasses the windows K mixer however testing by many companies have proved this to not be true in reality.

my Behringer mixer came with a similar device, but different model. It *DID* have ASIO drivers. As I recall it worked OK for both recording and playback in RB & BIAB.

Its only 16 bit though. If that's not a problem, those little UCA devices are the least expensive audio interfaces to be found.

But, low price and great performance aren't terms that often show up in the same sentence. If you want something really nice, price some of the units in the "which audio interface do you use?" thread. They are all being used successfully by people on the forum. One of them should fit your budget.

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=190669#Post190669

Hi,

Thanks for the response. I mainly record guitar, sometimes using Band in Box to build a backing track and then using RealBand to add guitar tracks and sometimes vocals. I sometimes use a midi keyboard to directly record using soft synth to add bass, piano etc, so need to achieve low latency, hence I think I need Asio.

Hi, thanks for the link to the discussion on Audio interfaces. It seems that a wide variety are being used successfully. I will follow these up and price them, I only need a two in/two out interface so look like there should be a good choice of affordable models.

I have a lappy with a factory card using MME drivers. It runs BB & RB just fine.

I also have a firewire Focusrite Saffire interface running ASIO drivers and when I plug it in, it also runs just fine with both programs.

The Focusrite & ASIO drivers are absolutely needed to run my DAW software properly. MME will not cut it.

Most any USB interface will work fine and run ASIO drivers without any problems with BB & RB.

I use the M-Audio mobile pre. Modest price, but it does the job on both ASIO and MME.

Don S.

I have SERIOUS trouble trying to run ASIO on the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra. MME also sometimes does not sync well. Avid seems to have pretty much abandoned this device.

ASIO should be the driver that is used for audio with the external interfaces.

Sometimes it does require a bit of playing with the settings to get it dialed in. The buffers and the latency settings in particular are important to have them set correctly.

Given that, yes, some of the interfaces are built and designed better than others. It's always a good idea to shop around and compare features, but seeking advice from other users is also a great idea.

In the Sonar forums, more times than I wish to count, people have come seeking advice after buying a less than capable interface, asking how they can get it to run properly. Often the only solution is to return it and "buy up" a few levels to a more expensive, but capable interface. I hate to see the ones that start off, I just bought a midi-UNO, or a SAmpson USB mic, or I have a Layla interface...... Spend the money and get a nice Focusrite, or Presonus, or M-Audio..... those usually work very well. At times it is necessary to update the drivers and tweek the settings even on the top of the line interfaces.

If you have the option of native (true) ASIO, always opt for it. It is, after all, designed to do audio better than MME. Anything less is a compromise.