ASIO support? (Linux hosts, Windows guests)

[trustmaster]

Most of time I use Linux, but I still need Windows for sophisticated audio applications. As rebooting all the time is no inspiration, VirtualBox is what could help me to run those application without switching Linux off. It works pretty nice, I have no problems running the applications themselves and using my USB MIDI keyboard, but the sound card is no good. You see, I have M-Audio Delta and it has a very low latency if using ASIO driver. But VirtualBox emulates cheap and slow integrated Intel 82801 AA. It doesn't distort the sound unless you try 24 bit or 96 kHz, but it has a very high latency.

So is there a way to install ASIO drivers on a Windows guest or get lower latency? Or will there be a better sound card emulated in future VirtualBox versions?

[Technologov]

Well, the only way as I see it, is using external USB Audio card, and install drivers in the guest OS.

[stefan.becker]

If you need good sound in Windows, then start it native.

[Phobos]

Im sorry to write in an old post, but Im interested in the exact same thing...

you see, I use Ableton Live to record and produce some music.. I use an external USB MIDI keyboard..

the program runs virtualized beautifully (as seen on the attached pic)... something WINE isnt yet capable of doing...

everything works, but to record with the midi keyboard and get the best results, I need a low latency audio system.. I use ASIO4ALL (http://www.asio4all.com/) on my Vista and XP installations to do that, since I dont have an ASIO audio card (this driver does an awesome job anyways), but on the virtualized system I dont find that option as useful as on real windows.

cant something be done to decrease the latency of VBox audio system?

will using the low latency kernel on my host help with this?

maybe Michael Tippach (the creator of ASIO4ALL) could help on this?

[billstei]

ASIO is essential for my needs too.

This driver would obviously need to be part of the Guest Additions and would need to talk to Jack to get the lowest latency. The problem I think is that the license for ASIO would prevent it from being completely open source. Worth noting however, a similar driver for Wine has been written called WineASIO, and the authors leave it to the end user to compile it themselves using the non-GPL ASIO SDK.

Bill

[billstei]

Awww I missed the one year anniversary of still needing ASIO support. Bump.

[YNT]

I have troubles with latency issue on Vista. So I'm going to test my hardware with XP and Ubuntu Studio. As I can see here virtualisation isn't the right way... Am I right?

[goncalopp]

Virtualizing audio applications, if done correctly, could pretty much be "the right way"
As no one seems to have mentioned it:
JACK now has a windows version, complete with ASIO virtual drivers, I believe.
Using netjack to connect the virtualized jack to the native jack through the virtual network, you could, theoretically, get audio at very low latencies.
Last time I tried netjack on windows I had some troubles making it talk to the linux netjack.
If anyone gets this working, please let me know

[billstei]

I have this working, but I am also getting dropouts, so YMMV.

Here is what I have:

Linux Ubuntu Lucid host for VirtualBox 3.2.0, and as Master for NetJack
Jack 0.118-svn3796 running in Linux, with PulseAudio removed/disabled, and using ALSA.

Windows XP guest, with Network set to Bridged Adapter, and as Slave for NetJack
Jack 1.9.5 running in Windows, set to netone driver in Setup page of qjackctl
NetJack 0.5 running in Windows (setup file JackNone-0.5.exe from here: http://netjack.sourceforge.net )

Ready set go:

1) Start Jack normally in Linux
2) Determine Windows IP address, using Windows cmd and ipconfig command. For me this was 192.168.0.106 as an address issued via my router and DHCP.
3) In Linux console type: jack_netsource -H 192.168.0.106 It will respond "Not Connected", do not worry.
4) In Windows run "Jack Control" and set Jack to use netone driver on Setup page (and do not use Realtime, for now), and start Windows Jack.
5) In Linux console note "Connected" message from jack_netsource program.
6) Manually connect netjack Readable client to system Writable client in Linux Jack Connect window under Audio tab (drag and drop the left side to the right side).
7) Run Windows application that uses/needs ASIO driver. Set this driver to "JackRouter" (which is an ASIO driver).

Graceful shutdown:

1) Stop application.
2) Stop Windows Jack.
3) Stop jack_netsource (Ctrl-C).
4) Stop Linux Jack.

Hope it works for you,
Bill

[billstei]

I can confirm that increasing Frames/Period in Jack (both) eliminates the dropouts, but at 2048 this defeats the purpose of having a low latency interface. To be fair, I am not using realtime priority in Linux (I have tried using it in Windows). And I am only using one CPU for the virtual machine.

If anyone can advise me, is there a better (faster, more direct) way of doing the IP addressing? I am assuming that 192.168.0.106 is routed out to my router and then back again all through the same (bridged) eth0 card (?), and that does not sound like an optimal scheme.

[agaskins]

Bump! Anyone have this working at < 20ms?

[Uzume]

Bump! Anyone have this working at < 20ms?

Well VBox 4 has Intel HD audio (Intel HDA aka Azalia audio) support. This will likely solve your problems.

[frogger993]

Hello,

my first post hope i'am right here.

I trying to run an RME 9632 PCI audiocard in a WinXP gest via PCI-Passtrough with native(RME) ASIO drivers.
The assigning of the card and detecting in Windows/driver installation runs fine.
Foobar shows the card in the output menu but when i try to play music there is no sound. Same in
Arta and Acourate(programs for audiomeasurements).
The card is still there i see all channels but no chance to get audio no matter what channel i choose.
The RME mixer shows no input no output...
Have anyone tryed this ? Is there a chance to get this running ?

The Host runs with Ubuntu 11.4 64bit with 3.5.1 Kernel, Vbox 4.1.18+Extensions, Hardware CoreI5 2500 with Asus P8Z68-V 8GB Ram.

hoping for answers,

Greets Udo