Configure ASIO audio driver to play instruments on PC

May 1, 2015 14:00 GMT  ·  By

The computer has become a multifunctional tool that can be used to perform any activity if a proper application is installed. Music makes no exception to this, and songs can be fully written, composed, and assembled using just a Windows PC.

If you ever tried plugging in your guitar in the audio card and use it in an attempt to amplify and enhance your sound, there’s a high chance the first try ended up in disappointment. This is because the guitar is fitted with special kinds of microphones that require advanced processing by your sound card.

Specialized applications like Guitar Rig require, besides a physical instrument for capturing sound, a virtual audio driver through which to process it. The driver in question is ASIO4ALL, packed with the necessary means to minimize latency and properly deliver sound from a connected instrument, just like you might have found out from the Internet.

ASIO4ALL universal configuration

Step 1: Download and install ASIO4ALL.

Step 2: A system restart might be required for the driver to be enabled. If no new icon appears in the system tray, it most likely means you need to reboot.

Note: If this also fails, check your audio drivers to see if they’re up to date or registered with Windows. A complete failure in the app launch means your audio card is not supported.

Step 3: Click the tray icon to access the configuration panel.

Step 3: Select the WDM Device you want to use from the left list. Expand the device tree to select both IN and OUT sources.

Step 4: Hit the wrench button for more options.

Step 5: Only change Latency Compensation sliders in case you measured device latency and know the values. ASIO only estimates and adjusts settings automatically.

Step 6: Check with the corresponding application to see if sound is working, and if any adjustments need to be done.

Step 7: If no sound is heard, try enabling Always Resample 44.1kHz <-> 48kHz and forcing WDM Driver to 16 Bit.

Step 8: Adjust the ASIO Buffer Size to try and fix latency. Lower values can result in sound distortions, in which case you need to increase the buffer size.

Note: The overall configuration process does not ensure proper functionality, or any at all. ASIO4ALL highly depends on your hardware configuration, so you’ll probably scratch your head several times until you get it right.

Step 9: Once adjustments are done, set input and output sources for the audio tool you’re using (Guitar Rig) accordingly.

Considering you made too many mistakes and you still end up far from any kind of result, pressing the diamond-shaped button reverts all values to default so that you can try again.

Interface and configurations (3 Images)

Broken guitar, no sound
Audio driver configurationsAdvanced options and default settings
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