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| Sound Cards that Support ASIO |
Description
ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output) is a technology
invented by Steinberg (www.steinberg.net) to address a shortcoming of the
Windows audio subsystem. Windows' audio drivers (particularly those of Windows
2000 and Windows XP) suffer from long latency. That is, a considerable amount
of time (typically 25-50 ms) can elapse between the time when an application
provides some audio to the sound card and when the sound card actually plays
that audio.
For an acceptable "feel" when playing an instrument, the
latency must be in the range of 10 ms or lower.
An ASIO driver is able
to achieve very low latency (in some cases below 2 ms) by bypassing the "kernel
mixer" component of the Windows audio subsystem.
Generally, an ASIO
driver must be written (usually by the manufacturer of the sound card)
specifically for each sound card. Because ASIO is so popular (many audio
applications use it) most of the recently introduced sound cards, and many
older professional quality sound cards, are supplied with ASIO drivers.
The following is a small sampling of the many sound cards that support ASIO
(listed alphabetically by manufacturer):
- Creative Labs
Soundblaster Audigy and Audigy2
- Echo Darla20/24,
Layla20/24, Gina20/24, Mona, Mia
- MOTU 828, 896,
2048
- M-Audio Delta
Audiophile 2496, Delta 10/01, Delta 44, Delta 66, Dio2448, Delta Dio2496, USB
Duo, USB Quattro
- Roland
U8
- SEK'D
Siena
- Sonorus Stud
I/O
- Tascam
US-428
- Terratec DMX 6fire LT
and 24/96, EWX 24/06, EWS 88 MT, EWS 88 D
- Yamaha DSP Factor DS
2416
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