Hi folks. I have just upgraded one of my live performance laptops to windows 10. (i7, quad core 8 gig ram with Behringer X32 digital mixer) After upgrading, despite all configuration being identical, when using an enabled playlist the currently playing song glitches briefly whilst the next song loads. This did not happen under windows 7 on the same system. Changing the asio buffers makes no difference, and none of the performance metres are anywhere near peaking.
 
In the processs of troubleshooting I tried using wasapi drivers and found that the problem immediately dissapeared, and I was able to achieve lower latency as well (though for live performance that is not crucial). I have a backup laptop that is much lower spcd that always glitched during playlist loading- even on windows 7. I switched it over to wasapi drivers and now it too runs perfectly! They certainly seem more efficient with this particular interface at least.
 
I have also used asio drivers as is generally recommended.  Can anyone shed any light on any disadvantages of, or alternatively share any good experiences with wasapi drivers? I thought the timing may have varied slightly, but this could very well be my imagination. I am very tempted to change permanently unless I am missing something.
 
Thanks:)

if the wasapi drivers work well for you, then you should use them :)

pwalpwal
if the wasapi drivers work well for you, then you should use them :)

+1
 
http://www.shanekirk.com/2015/10/a-brief-history-of-windows-audio-apis/
 
http://mark-dot-net.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-up-with-wasapi.html
 
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/mt298187(v=vs.85).aspx
 

There are three reasons people tend to recommend ASIO drivers:
 
1) It is in nearly every case a guaranteed bit perfect delivery. No resampling or anything like that. That is not guaranteed to the same extent in other driver models necessarily
 
2) Many pro cards have good ASIO drivers and bad WDM drivers. They focus on ASIO since that's what most pro software likes and the WDM drivers are an afterthought. So you get things like MOTU interfaces that can only do one stereo pair via WDM, but all I/O via ASIO.
 
3) Because that's what most pro software uses so they just assume that's what you have to use. The "that's what we've always used because that's what we've always used," thing.
 
 
However that doesn't mean that YOUR card has better ASIO drivers. If it doesn't WASAPI or WDM/KS may well be a better option. For a really well designed card, like a RME, it won't matter what you choose all drivers are equally good and it'll work flawlessly in either mode. For a lot of cards, there is one that works better than the other, and for many consumer cards, ASIO just isn't an option.
 
They are just different ways of talking to the card, so you use the one that is right.

Thanks for the input everyone.
 
I have always used ASIO drivers for all of the reasons you mention Sycraft - running Win 10 is the first time I have had any reason to believe a solution to this particular problem may lie elsewhere. I too am a big fan of my RME UFX in the studio. I have never tested whether the playlist issue affects it, but I will.
 
Thanks for the links slartabartfast. I know more now:) I tended to put all audio drivers apart from asio into the one bucket. So far from the truth!
 
Short and to the point pwalpwal:)
 

WASPI I guess must be even yet different than WDM mode ,,right?  I've never encountered it as an option.
WDM mode is an interesting item. 
When I did loopback testing my Tascam performed poorly, my Scarlett didn't even support it and and this old PCI card I have,   CARD DELUXE http://www.digitalaudio.com/support/
 performed equally well in both ASIO and WDM modes. That's because the manufacturer wrote both drivers. 
Not all audio interfaces supply the WDM drivers it would seem. 
Generally they are not as good as ASIO but it might be a matter of who wrote them. 
 

 

Cactus Music
Not all audio interfaces supply the WDM drivers it would seem. 
Generally they are not as good as ASIO but it might be a matter of who wrote them. 

I think you are right about that Johnny. The wasapi drivers are certainly impressing me on the X32, but to be honest I suspect that is only because the asio drivers are, well, let's just say a bit ordinary!

tenfoot

Cactus Music
Not all audio interfaces supply the WDM drivers it would seem. 
Generally they are not as good as ASIO but it might be a matter of who wrote them. 

I think you are right about that Johnny. The wasapi drivers are certainly impressing me on the X32, but to be honest I suspect that is only because the asio drivers are, well, let's just say a bit ordinary!

you could hop over to the X32 forum and post the question there as this is independent of DAW software used
 
just make sure you come back here and tell us what you learned cause I got 2 of these X32s in use as well ... ASIO what else? quoting George C. here ;-)

I'll do that Rob. I have two as well that I am very fond of:) Have you tried the wasapi driver? It certainly stopped the occasional glitching on my playlist. Not sure how it would perform under pressure in the studio where latency is crucial as my x32's are for live use.
 
How did your dmx adventures go?

tenfoot
How did your dmx adventures go?

still on my list to pursue. as nights get longer and colder on this side of the planet, I'm hoping to find some time to mess with new toys ;-)