USB audio DOESN'T suck!!!!

M

mgraffeo

New member
OK, I'm not one for sensationalist subjects, just to get people to read my posts, but I thought that this post needed one. I've been working with the Event EZBus for a while now, and could never seem to record or monitor without pops and clicks. I've discovered the problem. If you're using WindowsXP, and trying to use a USB audio interface, you need to go to

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q307271&LN=EN

and download the patch (fits on a 3.5" floppy). It fixes the way that XP transmits time-dependent data via USB. It seems to have fixed all of the problems I was having earlier, and I must confess that I've now become a BIG fan of the EZBus. Granted, I'll probably buy the EZ-8 ADAT PCI card eventually, in order to be able to record more than 2 channels at a time, but for now, the thing rocks!!!

Now, I'm ready for the USB audio bashers. Bring it on ;-)

-mg
 
I had the exact same problem w/ the us-428. It's a simple fix, but if you don't know about that file usb can be quite frustrating with xp.
 
If this thing really works then you have saved and made me some money in one shot...


20 minutes later...


Didn't work. Patch doesn't even load properly. Says FAILED TO INSTALL CATALOG FILES.

DAMMIT! Any help?
 
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Oh you're ready for the USB bashers huh? K...you're on mg! lol jk jk ;-)

Hate to play devil's advocate...but USB audio, while it can be done properly, rarely is in my experience. I've seen USB audio drivers for the M-Audio Quattro for instance totally bring systems to their knees with an especially nasty crash. Even if the drivers are written properly, and there is an absence of other potential problems, there is still USB 1.1's somewhat limited bandwidth to deal with. 2 channels (either in or out, but not both) of 24/96 is about the realistic limit, perhaps up to 6 of 16/44.1 depending on how the interface is made. FireWire would give you up to 16 channels of in AND out at 24/96 w/o breaking a proverbial sweat (case in point: two MOTU-896s)...unfortunately, FireWire interfaces can be quite expensive.

...well, sorry to go off on that little tangent...but I figured the "sensationalist" topic could use a "sensationalist" reply. lol...all kidding aside though, if that patch fixes USB audio problems under XP...it's certainly worth a look. Thanks for pointing it out to us mg.
-Frank
 
LAZI,

what version of XP are you running (ie. what service pack upgrade are you up to, if any)? How would you describe the problem you're having? What device are you using?

-mg
 
Frank P.

I always enjoy reading USB-bashing posts! lol! Just wanted to mention a couple of things.

1) Bandwidth IS limited in USB. And all of the manufacturers of USB devices tell you this. If you bought the unit, and expected more than 2in, 2out, you didn't do enough research (admittedly, I had to look long and hard to find it in some cases, but it is there). However, despite these limitations, it does seem to do its job well. I've had no problems whatsoever with 2in, 2out at 16/44.1. I'm going to try some 24/96 experiments this weekend, and I'll let you know how it goes.

2) Firewire is a MUCH better protocol for an audio interface. However, it is an order of magnitude more expensive than USB, so you had BETTER get more performance out of it! (look at the Digi002 vs. the EZBus, or the MOTU 896 vs. anything) Just because it plugs in with a similar-looking cable doesn't mean you're comparing apples to apples.

3) Driver support isn't always great; but, I've seen plenty of driver problems on PCI-based systems, too. Drivers are drivers; they're a pain in the ass that we all have to deal with.

4) I chose the EZBus because of its expansion flexibility. While I like what USB has offered me, some time this year, I plan to pick up the EZ-8 PCI ADAT card, in order to increase my number of simultaneous channels. What I loved about the EZBus is that I didn't have to pay for everything at the same time. I'll use my USB until I have a need for more, then add the card.

I had been beginning to worry that nobody would try to hit my serve on that original post ;-) lol. Thanks, Frank! I was working with the EZBus all weekend, and it's just working so well, so it's a bit of a love-fest for me right now.

-mg
 
mgraffeo

I really don't know what a service pack is :confused:. Or even what you mean by sevice pack... Think I saw something about service pack on the XP website (updates for XP maybe?). My sis sent me XP when it first came out an I really haven't done much to or for it except change up a few setting to "optimize" it for audio and customize the looks. There was the one download my sis told me to get though... Did that and that about it.

With the USB audio fix you posted I just downloaded the second thing I saw. Said if you already have XP... So that's what I tried. It ran a few things and then flashed that sign.

The USB audio device i'm using is a EDIROL UA-5... Laptop I use is a P3 IBM T22 with 384mb.

If you can help me out i'd greatly appreciate it. I would like to use it at least one decent time before I go by a firewire in/out box.

Do I need to download a service pack for XP?:confused:
 
mg-
Oh you needn't have worried about someone hitting the USB serve...I would have found it sooner or later. lol jk ;-)

1)Yes I was fully aware of bandwidth limitations on USB audio whenever I researched the units, that's why I couldn't really find one that I could use. Most of the recording I do is of small instrument ensembles all playing live and together in the room, so feeding in tracks two at a time with overdubs would be an unrealistic option for me...although USB units are an excellent choice for people who mostly record a single instrument at a time or are soloists.

2)True, FireWire and USB are totally different interfaces with totally different price ranges and can't be directly compared...but that's why one is (in general) better for audio interfaces. Odd that you should by chance use the phrase "apples to apples" b/c that's the type of computer my mixing is done on now...an Apple running Mac OS X. And that in and of itself limits the choices availible in audio hardware b/c very few things (USB and FireWire alike) have tried and true OS X drivers...most are still beta or simply don't exist. Add to that the fact that USB implementation is OS X is still slightly buggy as of 10.2 (although better than 10.1), and FireWire is the only realistic option. Mileage on my Windows computers can (and does) vary.

3)True...drivers often present problems...but I feel that if the driver is bad enough to not just malfunction, but to actually crash the computer...it shouldn't be released to the public as a final version. Not that USB audio devices are particularly guilty of that more than any other hardware type though.

4)It's great that the EZBus worked that well for you mg. Be sure to let us know how the 24/96 audio tests work out when you get them done.

Btw LAZI...a service pack is a huge collection of bug fixes and updates that Microsoft creates for its operating systems. Downloading them is usually not a bad idea because they often do solve problems in a variety of areas. You can find the proper one by going to the microsoft website and searching for XP Service Pack 1. Beware that it's about a 150MB download if I remember correctly though.
-Frank
 
I don't deal with USB audio, but I am a big fan of Windows XP Service Pack 1. I've heard some disaster stories on the web from people who claim it hosed them, but I've installed it on about 30 PCs so far and have not had a problem.
 
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