ASIO4ALL as a Mobile Solution?

Hello Everyone, I figured I would make a separate topic for this as it will probably lead to some good discussion and easier to find for others researching as I am.   

I am buying a laptop and also going to purchase an external USB or Firewire Audio Interface which I will use at home to work with.  However, when I am traveling, I would like a portable solution.   I just want to carry around the laptop and a small 25-key USB MIDI Keyboard.  I would like to leave the audio interface at home (since most need power from a wall outlet, no?)    

I am reading all about ASIO4ALL making standard laptop soundcards work with Sonar because it acts like an ASIO driver.  Seems like a good solution but I have a few questions:


#1.  When working in a project at home on a project with the external audio interface, will the same project have problems opening up using ASIO4ALL?  Will there need to be some manual intervention for each project?    

#2.  In addition, what if at home I am recording at 24bit/96k and on the road ASIO4ALL is only capable of 16bit/44.1?  Any problems there?  

#3.  When mixing down from ASIO4ALL, do I still have the 64-bit double precision export option for mixdowns?

#4.  Does ASIO4ALL have the same sound quality as a standard external audio interface?   Any cracks, static, pops, etc....

#5.  Is ASIO4ALL supported by Cakewalk?  Is there an official Cakewalk solution to going mobile without your external audio interface?


If anyone has anything else to add to this discussion it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Dadeefe

Fog,


Did you read my full post?   I am getting a REAL audio interface.  I am just curious about ASIO4ALL when I want to travel light :)


Thanks,
Adam

Fog


it's a quick fix and not guaranteed 100% to work.. no substitute for a decent sound card

it's a bit like buying a ferrari and using cheap car parts with it.. I never get the logic of it.. you spend a fortune on a decent pc/software.. yet don't factor a soundcard into it.

of course it's not supported by cakewalk as it's not their product, as much as things like rewire etc aren't.. but sure you can TRY to use it.

you don't have to spend a fortune on a decent soundcard, but it makes me wonder why people skimp so much.. yet will buy a top of the range laptop. 

some programs like reason are more forgiving BUT I'd still not use an onboard unless I REALLY had to.

Geez, no need to have a chip on your shoulder.   I wasn't even trying to be rude, I was just asking if you read my entire post because it didn't seem like it since I stated that I knew an audio interface was better than ASIO4ALL.   

I also HAVE done research and Google'd it, BUT I thought it would also be good RESEARCH to ask the Cakewalk Community, no?   Why is that that if one posts a question on here it should be applied one hasn't done their research?  This IS research :)


-Dadeefe

Fog

Dadeefe


Fog,


Did you read my full post?   I am getting a REAL audio interface.  I am just curious about ASIO4ALL when I want to travel light :)

yes I did .. and if you bothered to do a bit more research instead of ragging on me,  you'll find there are "ok" ASIO based very small interfaces that don't have a big foot print / take NO external power good enough for if your using them mobile environment (that lack the connectivity of bigger interfaces) cakewalk sells at least 1 for example.


I suggest you re-read what I bothered to write.  google is your friend.. if your too lazy to do maybe 1 hours of research (if that, more like 5-10 minutes at most)  ,that down to you.. no one else. OR you just ask 2 pro audio shops for solutions and you might find both give you very simular solutions.. is asio4all a decent solution to your "issue" , in my eyes nope because it is dependant on other things + not funded = the guy can give up tomorrow.

Dadeefe:

I absolutely concur with TheStevens findings.  It's a good solution for anything ITB when you are on the move.  I even used it for a year before bothering to get an interface.

If you were a dog maybe you'd notice some sonic differences when playing back and of course there are none when you are processing inside of Sonar. Latency for me has always been fine with it but of course YMMV.

It's a really handy gizmo to have around for the uses you want to put it too.

Great price too...

Dadeefe: I run ASIO4ALL on all my service boxes here without any problems. My lappy too. I think you will have 0 problems. I run them on 2 stock Dell Inspiron 580's with Win 7 x64, i3, 4 gig RAM, one Dell 620s with an i5, 6 gig RAM, an old box with Win XP with 1 gig processor and 512 RAM, and my lappy running Vista running quad core and 4 gig of RAM without any problems at all. I'm able to get down to 64 samples and never have any latency. When I need to record softsynths in real time, I use Bomes midi keyboard which allows me to use my QWERTY as a midi controller. I have no problems using EZDrummer, Superior, Dim Pro or any other VSTi in this manner.

I can also use all the latest guitar sims in real time as well by simply plugging into line in. As soon as I'm done recording something, I push the latency slider to 2048 for mixing etc...but I've had no problems recording, mixing or editing...and like I said, I'm using it on 5 different boxes without any issues. I know some people have had issues with these drivers...but I haven't at all using the latest ones and as you can see, I'm running quite a few systems here with various stats and hardware. All the systems are running Realtek HD stock cards with the exception of the lappy....I think it's some sort of intel soundcard or something. But whatever it is...it works fine too. Best of luck!

-Danny