oooo....
I'm ssso ssssorry to have upsssset you SSScientist!
I guess I just picked up on the thing SFaudio said about only wanting to mixdown...
It isn't just a thing with Bandwidth with USB1.1 interfaces, or even USB2.0 for that matter - it's the way Windows handles the interface and plug and play.
It was ironic that SSScientist refers to USB as "Plug and Forget". You plug it in, install the driver (if you don't mind the limitations of XPs generic usb driver and if there's enough room in the Registries MME driver stack for it). Having got that far - have fun when the device disappears from the hardware list for no apparent reason, or you plug it into another usb socket by mistake and Windows thoughtfully installs the genric driver again for you.... Forget indeed!
It's utter crap - really. If you think about it, it's no surprise.
Plug&Play? - How does Windows know it's the same device plugged in again, the same device in a different USB controller hub or a different device with the same class chip from the same manufacturer and therefore looks the same but has different features? It doesn't apparently, is the answer. This is despite a USB device being able to identify its maker, model, version and serial number to the controller.
Now lets add the next inspiring Microsoft gotcha. The MME driver limit. This is just 10 for midi driver and audio channels. Several entries are already taken up by the GS software synth, midi mapper and your existing onboard audio - even if you've thoughtfully disabled/uninstalled it - XP remembers - Plug&Play you see, it has to remember the driver in case you re-attach/enable it. A few cycles of plug&forget re-installs and the list is full. The result is your interface is no longer available -you can un-install and re-install until the cows come home -each time you install, it won't register; the list is full.
Evolution and M-audio have special uninstallers or a registry fixer to get around this, but I see no such utility in Edirols support downloads. They must love getting tech support calls.
Strangely enough, I see few problems with other USB devices such as drives, keyboards, cameras etc. But there are still a few rogues I've come across. A camera that freezes booting if left plugged in. Certain USB1.1 cameras that XP insists are not formatted while Win98SE reads them perfectly.
The myth of hot swap is a good one - yes, you can pull it out anytime! Not if its a drive/memory you can't.
Maybe it all works great on a Mac, but on a Windows PC, USB still has some homework to do.
Ssso long.
