Universal Asio Driver

ASIO4ALL – Essential Software for the Professional Musician & Software Engineer

ASIO4ALL or Universam Asio Driver, is a software program that sets up the sound driver card on a PC. It is a product designed by Steinberg Media Technologies, a Hamburg, Germany based musical software and hardware company. The initial release date was May 29, 2012, and it works on all Windows operating systems. ASIO4ALL 2.14 is the latest version. It’s set up as a 3rd party driver that dramatically improves sound control, especially for professional musicians and sound engineers.

What is ASIO4ALL?

ASIO4ALL establishes a high fidelity interface between the software application and the computer sound card. Steinberg developers were searching for a simple method to cross-platform a multi-channel audio transfer protocol. ASIO4ALL is the software answer that provides users with the capability to access multi-channel applications through the sound card. It is an invaluable tool, designed to help professional musicians simplify and enhance music production. While the interface is predominately used on Windows systems, there are some limited modifications, which make the software compatible with Linux.

How ASIO4ALL Works

ASIO4ALL circumvents the regular path of the audio through the PC. It uses processes the data through an application across intermediary layers of the Windows operating system. The ASIO4ALL software makes a direct connection with the computer sound card. Every bypassed layer creates a reduction in latency. This is the delay, linking the application, which transmits the audio sequence reproduced by the sound card. The software can also use the input signals from the sound card, each individually controlled by the application. Users can easily access multiple audio inputs and outputs separately.

ASIO4ALL Features

• Free generic audio driver to improve the performance of the PCs standard sound card.
• Helps to fix playback issues and sound crackle in audio recordings.
• Simple installation that uses minimal memory – 24kB for the driver.
• Adjustable buffer size, plus a window with the WDM device list.
• Works with various USB devices to enhance the production quality at different points in music arrangements.
• ASIO drivers have a lower CPU overhead, plus lower buffer settings than a standard sound driver on a Windows operating system.
• Users are able to use a USB microphone input at the same time they are using the regular audio interface output control.
• The ASIO4ALL can control multiple devices, which makes it possible for users to choose inputs or outputs from separate sound cards and audio devices.
• There is an experimental ASIO driver for Wine, which is a Windows compatibility layer developed for Linux.

System Requirements

Asio4ALL does not have steep System Requirements, which is fantastic for users on older computers. In order to download and use Asio4ALL, you need:

• A compatible operating system (Win98SE/ME/2k/XP/2003/XP64, Windows Vista x86/x64, or above)
• A Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (or WDM) driver for your sound hardware of choice
• Just a few moments of your time

…and that’s it! If you meet those requirements, Asio4ALL can be up and running in no time. Asio4ALL is an asset to any computer user, no matter what operating system you’re running and whether your computer is a new one, or an older one.

Summary

ASIO4ALL is a software application used by professional musicians and sound engineers all over the world. It allows them to access external hardware directly through a Windows operating system. ASIO4ALL reduces CPU usage to eliminate unnecessary system overload, while producing a quality that could not be obtained with a standard sound card.