2

I am using the following setup to play guitar on a budget. I want to use my PC amp simulation software, for my practice, not just recording.

  • Connect my guitar to my audio interface (Focusrite Scarlet Solo 1st gen)
  • Connect my audio interface to my PC, running Win10 and ASIO drivers
  • Process the signal with a DAW software, adding amp simulation, effects etc
  • Get the processed sound back from my headphones, connected to the audio interface

enter image description here

It all works fine except I cannot get any sound from my PC into the same headset. It would be sweet to listen to a backing track or a music track, while I'm practicing. But since I'm already wearing a headset, I can only listen to my PC sound card from my PC speakers, playing loud. That's too loud for my neighbors, and I find it hard to learn songs by ear.

Is there some way I can combine the two sound sources (PC and AudioInterface) to the same headset (for late night practice) or the same monitor/speakers?

Do I need to use a mixer or a console etc? Or can I just use something like a Y cable : 2x 3.5mm jacks (male) to one 3.5 socket (female)? If yes, can I use any Y-splitter?

I'm sure I'm not the first to try this, but I'm probably missing something really obvious, or I got something wrong, because after lots of searching online, I still got no luck.

Edit: This is not an issue with my Mac: I can use the default OS drivers, so I can use multiple apps (DAW and other Audio) though the same sound card

Improve this question

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
3

The ASIO drivers can't handle more than one application using them. There are apparently multi-client versions. I've never used them though, so I don't know how well that would work. (http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=237170) (https://www.native-instruments.com/forum/threads/free-multi-client-asio-driver.109826/).

What I do is just drag the wav file of the backing track into my DAW. That way it's only one application handling all of the music, plus that way it's easier to (for example) loop over a specific section while practicing.

Improve this answer
2
  • The ASIO multi-client drivers are quite old ( < 2010) and not working on lots of cases.
    – yannicuLar
    Commented Sep 24, 2017 at 13:49
  • There is WASAPI (Windows Audio Session API) which can do it. But again, I don't know anything about it. Still recommend putting the music in your daw.
    – user22688
    Commented Sep 29, 2017 at 0:32
2

I'm going to start by saying I recommend just not bothering with this, and instead putting your music file into your DAW. However if you really want to get this working, I've had success in the past using the following tricks:

(Note that these have always been hit or miss, some days it worked, other days it didn't, and I have no idea why it varied so much.)

Start by opening audio devices, right-click your device, properties, advanced, uncheck both exclusive mode options.

Then use ASIO for your DAW, and your operating system's regular audio drivers for your music.

This works for me and my 3rd Gen AVID Mbox(most of the time), but I get these weird audio glitches seemingly at random, especially when 2 or 3 audio sources play at once.

Hope this helps, but if it doesn't work pretty much straight away it's probably not worth fiddling around with.

Improve this answer
0

One other option is to use Asio Link. With this you can output all your channels (DAW + PC) through the Asio Driver

More info on this answer : https://music.stackexchange.com/a/25040/9228

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.