Audio Applications; Windows Multimedia Setup; Latency Setting And Asio Applications Under Windows; Mac Os X Audio Midi Setup - ESI ESU1808 User Manual

ESU1808 ESI

7. Audio Applications

This chapter contains basic configuration examples for some popular software applications. Please
also refer to the manual of the audio software you use for detailed information.
Caution: The driver of ESU1808 allows multiple applications to access the hardware at the same
time. Please note that the playback volumes of these applications are added digitally to each other.
This means that it is easily possible that the playback signal gets distorted due to high volume
levels. If two or more loud signals are mixed together, the resulting output signals is even louder.
Because of that, either use only one application at a time or reduce the levels of your audio software
first before increasing it slowly to the required value to avoid distortion or digital clipping on the
playback signals (i.e. clicks and drop outs). While this could be seen as a problem in some
situations, it is rather an intended behavior. Mixing multiple signals digitally without distortion
requires special processing of the signals, i.e. with compressors or reducing the volumes before
mixing. However, as we do not want to alter your audio signals inside our driver and hardware and
want to ensure a 1:1 output of what is actually played back at all times, this behavior is actually
intended.
Note: ESU1808 is –despite its budget price– designed to be used in a professional studio
environment. While it is possible to use ESU1808 for consumer applications, it is not recommended
and the product has not been designed for it. For example, you might get clicks or small drop outs
when Windows system sounds are played, i.e. at startup or shutdown. If this bothers you, please
disable the Windows system sounds completely or use your internal / onboard soundcard for them
rather than ESU1808.

7.1 Windows Multimedia setup

The Windows Multimedia setup is required if you want to use your ESU1808 as the main sound
device for Windows multimedia applications. Go to My Computer > Control Panel > Sounds and
Audio Device Properties > Audio. Select the ESU1808 entry as your playback device to make sure
that all standard signals are played via the ESU1808 hardware.
As mentioned in the introduction of chapter 7, we do not recommend to use ESU1808 as a
multimedia sound device for standard applications. While it will work in principle, you probably
will not get the results you might have expected. Use the built-in sound card of your computer for
that instead and use ESU1808 in professional and semi-professional audio applications only.

7.2 Latency setting and ASIO applications under Windows

Via Config > Latency in the Control Panel it is possible to change the latency setting (also called
"buffer size") for the ASIO driver of ESU1808. A smaller or "faster" latency is the result of a
smaller buffer size. The available settings are highspeed, rapid, fast, normal, relaxed normal and
relaxed. Depending on the typical application (e.g. for playback of software synthesizers) a smaller
latency is an advantage. At the same time, the best latency setting indirectly depends on the
performance of your system. For recording applications, the normal setting is recommended. Note
that the latency has to be setup before launching the ASIO application using ESU1808.

7.3 Mac OS X Audio MIDI Setup

An important control center of ESU1808 and other audio devices under Mac OS X is the Audio
MIDI Setup application that you can find in your Applications folder. It can also be launched
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