Skip to main content ↑ ↓

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Feature Request: A backup Output Device (Read 4011 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

I love Kernel Streaming. It works perfectly.
But in case i run another application which uses my audiocard i would love if FooBar uses a defined "Backup" Output device. I think this will be easy to implement.

Thanks alot for this great music player!!!

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #1 –
Why not use the default? It also works perfectly, and is less susceptible to interruption.

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #2 –
Like Canar says, the tiny amount of delay that is nullified by using Kernal Streaming plus the solution to only theoretical problems surrounding kmixer means that you should just use the default.

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #3 –
Quote from: kl33per on
Like Canar says, the tiny amount of delay that is nullified by using Kernal Streaming plus the solution to only theoretical problems surrounding kmixer means that you should just use the default.


Yes maybe you're right but i fear a quality loss with DS. 
Below i'm talking about experiences with foobar2000 v0.8x
I use a M-Audio Delta Audio 24/96 card and i think the quality of KernelStreaming was somehow better in previous versions of foobar2000. But to be precisely i recognized a real quality gain with KernelStreaming at with friends place on a Creative Soundcard System. I'm not sure about differences in quality with KS or DS on
my own system with current foobar v0.92.

Still i think, an option for a backup output device may be a nice feature.

Thanks for replying to my post and
have a nice day!

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #4 –
There are three situations in which a user can perceive a quality gain from Kernel Streaming:

a) There is no actual quality gain and the user just perceives a quality difference. (Very subtle.)
b) There is a major bug in DS/WaveOut playback that Kernel Streaming circumvents. (Very obvious.)
c) There is some obscure/subtle bug in DS/WaveOut playback that Kernel Streaming circumvents. (Subtle, by definition)

A is the situation encountered by most users. B has been encountered before, but is rare (especially with the heavy emphasis Peter places on making things bulletproof). C has not been encountered to the best of my recollection.

Unless you have proof otherwise, most people here are going to assume you fall into category A, in which case, standard output is sufficient, and no extension of foobar2000 is required for your configuration to work excellently. I would presume that you fall into category A, as you've experienced alleged subtle quality difference on multiple occasions, but this would be presumptuous of me!

Anyhow, if you sincerely feel you belong to categories B or C, feel free to mention so. Just realize that there's a very definite chance you belong to A, in which case you're the one at fault, not foobar2000.

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #5 –
Canar, thanks for this exact explanation.
You made my quality-fear to disappear a bit.
But it's also obvious that alot is psychosomatically with music. Don't want to make doubleblind studies of KS here. I believe that many (to much) foobar2000 users want KS

A feature like "backup output device" may be useful in case of any blocked output device.

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Canar on
There are three situations in which a user can perceive a quality gain from Kernel Streaming:

a) There is no actual quality gain and the user just perceives a quality difference. (Very subtle.)
b) There is a major bug in DS/WaveOut playback that Kernel Streaming circumvents. (Very obvious.)
c) There is some obscure/subtle bug in DS/WaveOut playback that Kernel Streaming circumvents. (Subtle, by definition)

A is the situation encountered by most users. B has been encountered before, but is rare (especially with the heavy emphasis Peter places on making things bulletproof). C has not been encountered to the best of my recollection.

Unless you have proof otherwise, most people here are going to assume you fall into category A, in which case, standard output is sufficient, and no extension of foobar2000 is required for your configuration to work excellently. I would presume that you fall into category A, as you've experienced alleged subtle quality difference on multiple occasions, but this would be presumptuous of me!

Anyhow, if you sincerely feel you belong to categories B or C, feel free to mention so. Just realize that there's a very definite chance you belong to A, in which case you're the one at fault, not foobar2000.


Kernel streaming is only method (that I know of, feel free to correct me) that outputs audio without any Windows mixer or so, and windows mixer does tune your sound depending what output device you have selected from windows control panel. Tough I don't know effect (if any) when using "no speakers".

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #7 –
ABX! ABX! *chants*
hi

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #8 –
The main "quality gain" which people typically notice, is ..........  its LOUDER :-) That may be because it automatically uses max volume, no matter where your windows-mixer sliders are. Set the wave-slider to max, and it will sound the same :)

edit: if you want to improve soundquality, then buy better speakers and silence your PC.
I am arrogant and I can afford it because I deliver.

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #9 –
ASIO should also bypass the Windows kmixer.

Feature Request: A backup Output Device

Reply #10 –
Quote from: daybrain on
Canar, thanks for this exact explanation.
You made my quality-fear to disappear a bit.
But it's also obvious that alot is psychosomatically with music. Don't want to make doubleblind studies of KS here. I believe that many (to much) foobar2000 users want KS


No, please, I was at headfi for a while to read up about a pair of speakers I wanted to purchase... the audiophile-speak gets tiring after a while.

I use KS for an entirely different reason. DirectSound output tags onto the WaveOut volume slider, and I hate that.

Instead of requesting for a backup device (which may or may not be possible to implement in the first place), it may be easier to buy a soundcard with multiple hardware channels (Prodigy, Audigy ZS, XtremeMusic, 0404, etc)