Appendix B: Multi-client audio FAQ
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Appendix B: Multi-client audio FAQ
Appendix B: Multi-client audio FAQ
Q: What is “Multi-client audio”?
Multi-client audio is a feature that lets you use different inputs and outputs on your
Echo product with different software applications at the same time. This way, you
can use several different audio applications with just one Echo product. Otherwise,
you would have to use a different audio interface for each audio application.
For example, suppose you own both SONAR (multitrack audio) and GigaStudio
(software sampler). You can set SONAR to play out through outputs 1 through 6,
and set GigaStudio to play out through outputs 7 and 8. With some other hardware
products, you have to choose between one software program and the other.
Note that all of the various interfaces are multi-client. You could have an ASIO
application, a wave application, and a DirectSound application all running at the
same time. It's very flexible.
Q: So what's the catch?
The catch is this: all the software applications using your Echo product at the same
time must be set at the same sample rate. This is a limitation of the hardware.
Say that you didn't follow this rule in the previous example. Say that you initially
had SONAR and GigaStudio set up for 44.1 kHz - so far, so good. Then you load a
song into SONAR that is set up for 48 kHz. SONAR will change the sample rate of
the hardware. Unfortunately, this means that GigaStudio is now also coming out at
48 kHz, so all the sounds played out of GigaStudio will sound higher in pitch.
If you're planning to use multi-client audio, the best thing you can do is to sit down
and plan it out. Make a chart of each input and output on your Echo product and
write down what audio application is going to use what input or output. Go through
all the applications you plan to use this way, set them all up for the same sample
rate, and set up their inputs and outputs correctly.
