Studio setup (simple things)

[alesradiob]

Please could you help me with these 2 simple problems in my studio setup?

Studio:

- One computer where ProppFrexx OnAir is running (Windows 10 Pro)
- External sound card (Tascam US-16x08 - https://tascam.com/us/product/us-16x08/top)
- 3 studio Mics
- One output from external soundcard to studio monitors

I am using quite standard mixer setup (based on ProppFrexx Userr manual, please see screenshot bellow). All mixer channels are using ASIO.

http://www.testarea.cz/mixer.png

Now, my 2 simple questions are:

1. How can I play through ProppFrexx any audio played on my computer (like Windows media player, Winamp, Spotify, etc.)? Does exists any way how to add it as new mixer channel to ProppFrexx? (The only way how I achieved it is, that I connect using wire output of internal soundcard to input of external soundcard Tascam US-16x08, then created input channel in Proppfrexx, this input channel linked to Output channel of Proppfrexx. But I beleive that this is very stupid solution J). Any other simple idea how to do this basic thing please? (Pleaso note, that once I use any other channel diffrent then ASIO, then I hear latency in MIC inputs).

2. Studio computer is often used as recording studio for pre-recorded podcasts. For example interviews with guests are often pre-recorded and then played using Program scheduler. BUT all mics are connected to ProppFrexx using ASIO and I am not able to use these mics in any other Windows appplication (like Audacity, or any other recording software). Even if I think about to buy new computer (only for recordings) then its no solution – because mics are already connected to external soundcard of Proppfrexx, and I cannot disconnect soundcard and connect it to new computer, otherwise my radio stream will stop working.

Sorry for this long question (post) but I think Iam solving problem, what all of you propably has already solved, but I cannot find solution.

Would you be so kind and tell me, how are you solving these simple problems?

Thank you!!

[radio42]

No problem for all your questions which sound indeed very trivial, but are not
But both answers are a bit related to how Windows works and how ASIO works.

Let’s start with 1):
All these apps, like Spotify, WMP, Winamp, iTunes, your browser etc. are using the default sound device of Windows by default. These use the default Windows audio driver model, which is WASAPI.
But all these do not support ASIO!
What you can do to connect all these to ProppFrexx is to create an input mixer channel and select the WASAPI model and the related device (the same which is used for default playback). Thus you record what is currently played out.
You can then route (Output To) this input mixer channel to any output channel.

As said, this only works for WASAPI, as all default apps do not support ASIO.
And ASIO also does not support any shared mode! Ie. an app using ASIO prevent other apps of using ASIO at the same time - this is unfortunately not possible.

And you already mentioned the issue of low latency. WASAPI is not a low latency driver model, but ASIO is. This is a simple fact, we can not do anything about it.

And here we come to your 2 question:
As already explained ASIO is an exclusive driver model. Ie. it can only be used by one app, eg. ProppFrexx at a time and in parallel at the same time by multiple applications.
Thus, what you are trying to achieve is not possible in that way.

How does others solve this issue?
They use an external mixer.
Ie. they do the playout for example via WASAPI, even in shared mode even by multiple apps at the same time.
Thus, the playout then goes to that external mixer.

The MICs and your headphones etc. are then connected to this external mixer. So the latency relevant mixing is not done in software, but in hardware in the mixer.
Only with this mixer you could achieve both what you want to achieve.

I hope this explanation makes it all clear to you.

[alesradiob]

Hi Bernd,

thank you for your reply. Now its clear and it helped me a lot to understand that without external mixer I am not able to achieve it.

So my last simple question - is there any "golden standard" external mixer, what works with ProppFrexx well, is well tested and its good choice also for future? I know that there could be a lot of them, but I am asking if you have some experience with any of them?

My required setup is:
- minimum 3 mics
- output to studio monitors (features like mute when any mic is on is mandatory)
- possibility for each fader to be compatible with Proppfrexx (for using DST filters and compressors above fader channel)

Is it D&R Airilite? Or any other well tested with all "radio" features in-built?

Thank you

Ales

[radio42]

I indeed cannot and will not give any HW recommendations.
But the D&R mixers are quite nice and complete which are affordable and have as such an excellent price/use ratio.
Only downside is, that they don't come with any audio drivers and as such use the default windows driver and as such only really support WASAPI and no ASIO.

Other external digital (USB) mixers are much more expensive (e.g. from Lawo, DHD or Wheatstone) but are excellent as well.
Else only analog mixers might be affordable.