Trouble with Win7+foobar+wasapi

[Gijo George]

I went through a few foobar threads on HFV but couldn't find a solutions to this one. Wanted to know what I'm doing wrong.

The google chrome/Explorer hangs while using foobar with wasapi. It seems to work fine without the wasapi plugin. My audio chain is
PC---USB to Nuforce uDAC----to preamp. Does the internet browser shut down while using wasapi

This is the screen shot with the wasapi in foobar.

Any solutions?

 

[musicbee]

WASAPI has something called "exclusive mode" i.e. only one device can use the sound card at a time. So if Foobar is using it then nothing else can but I've only found it to be limiting other media players and YouTube videos on the browser (Firefox). Other than that the browser works fine for me.

Videos should not play on Chrome when Foobar is running (videos will load and run but no audio will come). Try checking with another browser like IE or Firefox and see if its the same.

 

[Bluu]

Like musicbee said, since Wasapi bypasses the Windows mixer, it can only service one application at a time. Since that application is FB2k, audio will be unavailable anywhere else.

However, I don't think this should cause your explorer to hang. Are you sure it is hanging/crashing/freezing and not just being silent?

 

[hydra]

The problem is most likely because the audio device is not being made available to the browsers.

I haven't experienced this yet, but then I don't use my Music PC for browsing, so I haven't had to use Foobar and a browser at the same time. I do use the onboard sound of one of my office PCs with Foobar via WASAPI while browsing, but I've not had any issues there.

I don't know if this will work, but do give the following a try if you can:
1) In Control Panel > Sound Devices, set the speaker-out of the onboard sound as the default device (and NOT the nuForce DAC).
2) Set WASAPI: nuForce DAC via USB as the output device in Foobar (you've already done this).

Doing this should "block" only the USB device from being used by the browsers (while Foobar is playing). The browsers will still have access to the windows default sound device (the speaker-outs), so they should not have reason to complain.

Worth a try

 

[Gijo George]

WASAPI has something called "exclusive mode" i.e. only one device can use the sound card at a time. So if Foobar is using it then nothing else can but I've only found it to be limiting other media players and YouTube videos on the browser (Firefox). Other than that the browser works fine for me.

Videos should not play on Chrome when Foobar is running (videos will load and run but no audio will come). Try checking with another browser like IE or Firefox and see if its the same.

The only audio out I've connected from my PC is through USB---uDac chain. I did not do a any tweaks but till date any audio I play on the PC used to go through Udac and by default the sound output was not limited only to Foobar. It used to play Youtube, Itunes et al. If I play a youtube video while playing songs through FB I could hear a Youtube+FB mix.

It's the same case with IE. The browser freezer while I'm playing songs in Foobar through Wasapi.

Like musicbee said, since Wasapi bypasses the Windows mixer, it can only service one application at a time. Since that application is FB2k, audio will be unavailable anywhere else.

However, I don't think this should cause your explorer to hang. Are you sure it is hanging/crashing/freezing and not just being silent?

Yes it does hang and not just cut audio.

The problem is most likely because the audio device is not being made available to the browsers.

I haven't experienced this yet, but then I don't use my Music PC for browsing, so I haven't had to use Foobar and a browser at the same time. I do use the onboard sound of one of my office PCs with Foobar via WASAPI while browsing, but I've not had any issues there.

I don't know if this will work, but do give the following a try if you can:
1) In Control Panel > Sound Devices, set the speaker-out of the onboard sound as the default device (and NOT the nuForce DAC).
2) Set WASAPI: nuForce DAC via USB as the output device in Foobar (you've already done this).

Doing this should "block" only the USB device from being used by the browsers (while Foobar is playing). The browsers will still have access to the windows default sound device (the speaker-outs), so they should not have reason to complain.

Worth a try

Ok first I'll have to provide some PC speakers for the Motherboard audio out from the 3.5 Jack so that I can use USB--Udac dedicated for FB. And I went ahead and did your above suggestion anyway and.....
HELP...to change the default device I disabled the Udac and set the Realteck speaker out as the default device. But now the Udac doesn't show in the sound menu. Just the realteck outputs. I unplugged and replugged the udac several times but the PC doesn't seem to recognize the device..it doesn't show in the output options in foobar as well..
OK now what..:sad:

 

[hydra]

If you right-click on any of the displayed devices in Control Panel > Sound > Playback, you will get the option "Show Disabled Devices". If you check this, the Udac should show up with a grayed icon.

You shouldn't disable the Udac, you should just set the speaker-out of the onboard audio to default.

So, you should right-click the Udac and "enable" it. But keep the speaker out as the default device. Once the Udac gets enabled, it should show up in Foobar.

 

[hydra]

The only audio out I've connected from my PC is through USB---uDac chain. I did not do a any tweaks but till date any audio I play on the PC used to go through Udac and by default the sound output was not limited only to Foobar. It used to play Youtube, Itunes et al. If I play a youtube video while playing songs through FB I could hear a Youtube+FB mix.

This should not happen when WASAPI is enabled (in Foobar) and Foobar is playing music. The YouTube audio should not get played through the Udac. If it does, if means that Foobar has not got "exclusive control" of the Udac.

To give Foobar exclusive control over the Udac:
1) Go to Control Panel > Sound
2) Select the Udac (= the device that you want to be controlled exclusively by Foobar) by clicking on it.
3) Right Click and select "Properties".
4) To to the "Advanced" tab.
5) In the "Advanced" tab, check both "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device", and "Give exclusive mode applications priority".

If you do this, it is likely that the issue with the browser/s will be resolved. Even without trying the suggestion I had mentioned.

Do post results

 

[musicbee]

Do what Hydra says and you will get your Udac back.

Also, use the onboard for all audio on the system like YouTube, browser, etc.

Use the Udac for playing music... its better that way.

I'm building a new system and the onboard Realtek is going to be the default for playing everything, but I will also have an Asus Xonar that will be for playing only music via Foobar.

 

[Gijo George]

Tried all these but problem still persists. :sad
Will try reinstalling Google chrome.

 

[musicbee]

Can you set the system default to another device and let Foobar run on the UDac. See if that freezes the browser?

 

[Gijo George]

Can you set the system default to another device and let Foobar run on the UDac. See if that freezes the browser?

Think its the same solution provided by hydra in post no.4. Yes I tried that to same result. Gave the realtech digital out as the default output and wasapi uDac on fb2k. Same result. By the way in the below mentioned site it says that wasapi2.0 component has an issue with Win7. The download option says Wasapi 2.1 but maybe the issue with Win7 has not been rectified. Here's the link

foobar2000: Components Repository - WASAPI output support

Thanks Gijo

 

[musicbee]

I'm running 2.1 without any issues.