(SOLVED)"Unable to open audio playback evice?"

The error is what it says. your audio settings do not support your project.
So I would check your Sample Rates and make sure they match and check Share drivers with other programs in options/audio/advanced and check driver mode also and it will be fixed
Cj

I use ASIO driver mode and i can play media players and sonar.
Cj

Yea, but i could also do it with other sound cards.

Other ASIO interfaces that have only 1 I/O
will only allow one audio program at a time

Not that true. I use the same I/O's for my media players. I never ever asigned an output to WMP or any other player. They all go thru outputs 1 and 2.
Your sound card outputs have nothing to due with that. yuo may be mistaken for something else.
Also, his error  will be fixed when he changes his settings that support the project and/or clicks share drivers
Cj

I know that!!! That doesn't mean you cant play a media player and then play sonar. I do it all the time in ASIO mode.
Ive done it with a few different sound cards, even one's with one output.
you dont need more than one output to play a WMP and sonar.

His error is from a changed audio setting and he need sto click share drivers with other programs. Cause if he has focus in sonar it will play
Cj

Not in the mood for an argument.

If  I'm wrong on this then I stand corrected.

Device may not support the current project's audio format or may be in use.? " What does "or may be in use" mean?

LOL, cause he doesnt have share drivers with other programs enabled or he doesnt have focus in sonar.
all i know is that yuo do nOT need a sound card with 2 or more stereo outs to play WMP and play sonar. Thats not true.
Also, its most liekly a sample rate error or the sound card doesnt support the driver mode he's in, if its an onboard card.
 
Ive been using ASIO for along time and i play WMP and sonar with no problems. with soudn cards with 1 steeo out and soudn cards with mutliple outs. Out puts DO NOT matter. His error code is from what i said above
 
Cj

OK ... got some caffeine in me now.
So ... to continue .....

I just did a few tests.

Made sure all 4 Virtual Stereo outputs on the MIA had
"Allow Applications to take exclusive Control of this device"
unchecked in Win 7 Sound options.

Ran FL Studio and pointed it to "MIA Virtual 1/2"

Loaded a tune and it played OK.

Closed FL Studio and ran Sound Forge and assigned it to "MIA Virtual 1/2".
Loaded a wav file and it played OK.
Closed Sound Forge.

Ran SONAR 8.5

Made sure "share drivers with other programs " was enabled.
Loaded a song and pointed the Master Outs to "MIA Virtual 1/2".

Song played fine in SONAR.

Closed SONAR.

So now I have "all bases loaded" all audio progs pointing to "MIA Virtual 1/2".

So I run FL again load the tune ... play ... no worries .. sounds good.
Leave FL running ....

Then I run Sound Forge and get this error message:

BINGO!

" The 'ASIO Echo PCI' audio device 'MIA virtual 1/2' is missing or in use by another program."

Cancel the warning  ....
Another dialog appears:
"The default 'Microsoft Sound Mapper' device
will be used until you restart Sound Forge or
select a different device in the audio page of
the Preferences dialog."

So Sound Forge won't even let me access that output.

So I close Sound Forge.... FL Studio still running....

Open SONAR
Load the same tune as before ...
Sonar doesn't show a warning dialog, but there is
no option to assign it to "MIA virtual 1/2".
"MIA virtual 1/2" is simply not there.

Close FL & SONAR.

Run SONAR again.
"MIA virtual 1/2" is now back as an option in the Master Output field.

Leave SONAR running .... run Sound Forge again ....
Double check it's pointing to "MIA virtual 1/2"
Load the wav ... plays OK.

Leave it playing

Go back to SONAR (still assigned to "MIA virtual 1/2")
and try to play the tune again.

BINGO! again!

Warning Dialog :

"Unable to open audio playback device. Device may not support the current project's audio format or may be in use."


Even when "Share and  allow Applications to take exclusive Control of this device"
unchecked in the OS and "share drivers with other programs " is enabled in SONAR.


After all that my conclusion is:

ASIO only lets 1 program access 1 driver at a time.

Is my logic faulty?

What am I misunderstanding here?

Glad you solved it Thomas.

Sorry if I confused you with my posts.

I'd still like to hear back from CJ & thomasbarnes
as to where my logic is faulty regarding the ASIO
drivers.

Whew!

That's it for me on the forums today!
One thread!
Back to the real world!


(I'll look in later to see if CJ has an answer for me)

Hi Fret:

OK this issue stayed on my mind so I went and tested it. I am able to use the same output ASIO driver in two programs simultaneously. So CJ is right. Maybe it has to do with how good an ASIO driver the manufactures of your audio interface produces. It may also be that you have to select the same sample rate as you're using in the project, in the windows control panel. I did this test with a 44.1 sample rate. I'm using a MOTU Ultralite-mk3. And Share driver with other apps is selected in SONAR.

I started a project at 44.1 sample rate. Selected my track output as Master Bus, and selected the Master Bus to output to the ASIO Headphones output. Played the project.

With project playing, I minimized SONAR, opened up the DR-008 StandAlone app, selected the MOTU ASIO driver and selected the Headphones output. I can play and hear the drumkit while my SONAR project is still playing.

I used the same ASIO outputs on both programs and I got no error that an audio device or particular ASIO output is in use by another program. I'm not fussing or anything but it works here.

Good night. I'm sleepy. :)

Here's a good thread on this topic: http://forum.cakewalk.com...90&mpage=1#1754475

Check out post # 17 in particular.