Baffled by “Playback Devices” error – 48kHz – Vegas 9 and Presonus Firestudio

[Danny Hays]

Did you recently switch to Windows 7? I had to switch my firewire drivers to the old Legacy drivers in order for my Presonus Firepod to work with Win 7.

[Scott Francis]

Is your firmware the newest version for the Presonus? I am using a Firestudio (26×26) and Win 7 Ulitmate and have been OK, I occasionally have a sync issue but that is all.

Scott Francis
Mind’s Eye Audio/Video Productions

[John Rofrano]

Are you using the Presonus FireStudio Project as your default windows playback device? You should not be.

Windows should be using your motherboard sound chip and the Presonus FireStudio Project should only be used for audio work.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Chris Forsyth]

Yes I did.
That is SO strange that you’d have to use legacy drivers!
Is presonus aware of this do you know?

Thanks

[Chris Forsyth]

I have the FS Project – not sure how different that is from the 26×26.
I did check the Firmware – one of the first things I did actually – hoping that would be a problem – but alas – it is current.

I haven’t checked drivers in a month or so – maybe there are new drivers.

Thanks

[Chris Forsyth]

Hi John,
I am indeed using the PSFS as the default device, and in fact have disabled the MB soundchip. I did that on the recommendation of either Presonus or Cakewalk (I use Sonar Producer for Audio) – I can’t remember which company told me to do that – probably Cakewalk. Whoever it was, said that “not disabling the onboard audio could cause conflicts and problems”.

That’s the way it’s always been, but maybe that is no longer an issue – and maybe I should re-enable the onboard audio.

Then again, I have my studio monitors hooked up through the Firestudio – so even using the on-board chip I don’t have any output for the audio… so I guess I’d need two separate audio setup’s?

Thanks

[Scott Francis]

That can completely defeat the reason for using a higher quality sound device!! Why would Vegas want us to do that when it is also supposed to be a good quality Audio recorder as well!! Are we REALLY supposed to not use a better device? That is absurd!!! (nothing directed at you John…just why the heck can we not use it!!)

Scott Francis
Mind’s Eye Audio/Video Productions

[Danny Hays]

I could at the time not find any info on Presonus’s site reguarding the Firepod (disconniued) had to upgrade the firmware to the FP10 firmware, and Windows 7. I had to Google “Firepod and Windows 7” and found out about the legacey drivers. It now works with sonar, Vegas Premier, After effects ect.

[John Rofrano]

[Scott Francis] “That can completely defeat the reason for using a higher quality sound device!! Why would Vegas want us to do that when it is also supposed to be a good quality Audio recorder as well!! Are we REALLY supposed to not use a better device? That is absurd!!! (nothing directed at you John…just why the heck can we not use it!!)”

The reason is quite simple. Windows records all of it’s beeps and boops at 44K or even worse 22K. Audio professionals want to record at 48K and 96K. If you use a single device for both, it will need to switch to 44K to beep at you and then switch back to 48K to record. All of this switching back and forth will (and has) cause problems. Quite often the device can’t switch fast enough and your 48K recordings get messed up because Windows had to play a beep at 44K. You don’t need a $400 audio device to play a beep. Let your cheap sound chip handle that.

This has nothing to do with Vegas.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[John Rofrano]

[Chris Forsyth] “Then again, I have my studio monitors hooked up through the Firestudio – so even using the on-board chip I don’t have any output for the audio… so I guess I’d need two separate audio setup’s?”

Yes, the proper way to set this up is to have a pair of speakers connected to your motherboard sound chip and use that for all windows sounds. Connect your good speakers to your professional audio interface and only use that for your audio software. I have been running like this for years with Vegas, ACID, Sound Forge, SONAR, etc. and haven’t had any problems. This eliminates contention from Windows with the audio device you’re trying to use for recording and playback.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com