Recording with Behringer Xenyx 1622USB mixer

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jdeligiannis
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:50 am

Recording with Behringer Xenyx 1622USB mixer

Post by jdeligiannis »

I'm recording into GW v4.26 with a Behringer Xenyx 1622USB audio mixer

(link deleted)

I'm using Windows 7.

The mixer offers an optional ASIO driver. That is, GW can record both with and without the ASIO.

The problem is that I've noticed a few pros AND cons with/without the driver.

What would you guys recommend when it comes to ASIO and GW?

Would upgrading to v 5.2 help in any way? Thanks!!
DougDbug
Posts: 2172
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 3:33 pm
Location: Silicon Valley

Re: Recording with Behringer Xenyx 1622USB mixer

Post by DougDbug »

Probably no "real" difference. In either case, the analog signal gets digitized by the mixer, and the driver & software routes the data to your hard drive. So, it has little effect on quality (assmuing no gross problems).

Recording quality is mostly affected by room acoustics (including room noise), microphone placement, mic quality, preamp quality (analog noise), and of course the skill of the performer, and if you are recording an instrument the quality of the instrument.

From what I understand, the main advantage to ASIO is low latency (low delay). This is only important when you are monitoring through the computer. Singers & performers can have a hard time when they hear themselves delayed in their headphones.

But with your hardware mixer, the performer can monitor the direct analog signal. You wouldn't care if it takes 5 or 10 seconds for the sound to get recorded on the hard drive. Latency is never that long, but it just doesn't matter except for monitoring. That's what the pros do... They record multitrack and mix later in software, but they have an analog (real-time) mixer so that the performers can monitor themselves with no delay. And, they often add a little "confidence reverb" to the singer's monitor mix, although the recording is sent "dry". That way they can add/adjust any effects later in post-production. (I don't believe the Behringer allow you to record multitrack, and GoldWave does not support multitrack)


Oh... The delay is there for a good reason... You have a multitasking operating system and the computer is always doing stuff in the background (checking the mouse & keyboard, updating the display, etc) even if you are only running one application.

When you are recording, the analog sound flows-in at a constant-even rate, but the computer can't dedicate the data bus, CPU, and disk only to the audio... So the audio goes into a buffer (a holding tank or a long-pipe) at a constant rate. Then it gets read-out (to the data bus & hard drive) in quick bursts. Of course this creates a delay, which is what you want... If the delay is too short (buffer too small) the buffer overflows and you get a "glitch" in your recording.

When you play back, there is an output-buffer. But in this case, the audio-data needs to flow out at a constant-even rate, and the buffer gets filled in bursts (when the operating system gets around to it). So with the output/playback buffer we have the opposite issue... If the buffer doesn't get re-filled in time (if the delay is too short), we have buffer underflow (the buffer "runs dry") and you get a playback glitch.

So big buffers are good, but bigger buffers create more delay. Somehow... ASIO gets-away with smaller buffers...



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I'm not 100% shure about the following...

AISO may also avoid re-sampling. But re-sampling usually doesn't create any audible problems (and you may need to re-sample later anyway). For example, most consumer soundcards always operate at 48kHz at the hardware level (probably the Behringer too). So if you record at to 44.1 or 96kHz (with Windows drivers), the software (or driver) is re-sampling from 48kHz to meet your settings.

If the Berhinger always works internally only at 48kHz, you probably won't be able to record at any other sample rate when using ASIO. GoldWave can resample and/or mix files with different sample rates, so that should not be a problem.

There a couple of other ASIO limitations related to real-time mixing with the driver... But, it was getting confusing trying to explain it, and it doesn't affect mixing in hardware with the Behringer or in software with Goldwave, so we won't worry about it....
GoldWave Inc.
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Re: Recording with Behringer Xenyx 1622USB mixer

Post by GoldWave Inc. »

GoldWave doesn't support ASIO. Currently only DirectSound and WASAPI are supported. WASAPI supposedly has low latency and avoid resampling, but the first generation of drivers were weak and unstable. ASIO doesn't offer any significant advantages for GoldWave in terms of speed or quality.

Chris
Philip.F.A
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Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2020 9:49 pm

Re: Recording with Behringer Xenyx 1622USB mixer

Post by Philip.F.A »

Although using the exact same mixer, my problem is different in as much GW isn't capturing the sound via my microphone connected to my mixer and wondered if there's anyone out there able to help. Thank you.

I'm a blind user and my settings are as follows:

Computer:
Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit (10.0, build 19041) / Windows 10 Pro (10.0, build 19041)
GoldWave v6.51
______________________________
Settings:
API: WASAPI
Timer: Off
Level Activated: Off
Unbounded: On
dc Filter: Off
Monitoring: Off
Play Quality (44100Hz / 2 / 32): Shared
Record Quality (44100Hz / 2 / 32): Shared
______________________________
Playback Devices:
WASAPI
+ Speakers (2- USB Audio CODEC ) [0DDA] (selected)
Volume (-128.0dB to 0.0dB): 0.0
32000Hz at 16 bit
44100Hz at 16 bit
48000Hz at 16 bit

______________________________
Record Devices:
WASAPI
+ Microphone (2- USB Audio CODEC ) [0D08] (selected)
Volume (-96.0dB to 30.0dB): 30.0
11025Hz at 16 bit
16000Hz at 16 bit
22050Hz at 16 bit
32000Hz at 16 bit
44100Hz at 16 bit
48000Hz at 16 bit

+ LOOPBACK Speakers (2- USB Audio CODEC ) [0DDA]
Volume (-128.0dB to 0.0dB): 0.0
32000Hz at 16 bit
44100Hz at 16 bit
48000Hz at 16 bit

+ Stereo Mix (Realtek(R) Audio) [0F0D]
Volume (-16.0dB to 12.0dB): 0.0
48000Hz at 16 bit
96000Hz at 16 bit
192000Hz at 16 bit
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