DIYHiFi.org

Dealt with the exact issue in the past, helping a friend that was using realtime video capture software on a Windows machine. Usually there's a stupidly programmed driver that ties up the windows kernel and lets an audio/video slip happen. I used a program that could measure windows kernel latency (forget the name) and started disabling drivers until I found the cause - a network card driver that would actually hang the system for tens of milliseconds. Disabled it and everything was fine.

I'm thinking it's the same, probably a Windows kernel design + bad driver issue... not a fundamental issue with USB.

<pokes head back in sand>

Check the dreadful power options of your Windoze, put the CPU always at 100%.
Change the energy profile to maximum performance.
Power saving is bad for (USB) audio.

Disable everything you can in the bios too, related with power. Also CPU throttling.

_________________
Carlos Filipe

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction." Albert Einstein

Not related to USB, just my experience: RME Digi96/8 has been working perfectly for ages. It still works under Windows 7, altough only for ASIO (which is the good method anyway). Standard install, no tweaks needed.

When the issues with USB audio are solved I might consider upgrading to 192 KHz, as the newer RME cards are out of my budget.

-Alex

So, when a universal serial bus is not universal and you need to spend time (money) diagnosing issues and diabling bits of your computer, this isn't a fundamental issure with USB?

Give another one with mouth just above choking level!

No, it's the bloody Windoze OS!!!
I use the PCI latency tool (google for it) on my old desktop machine for ages, it DOES speed it up, specially the AGP video card really benefits.
You guys insist Windoze is a good OS, it's crap and Windows 7 is no better in many cases to the "old" XP.
Microsoft is very slow to learn, it takes decades.

_________________
Carlos Filipe

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction." Albert Einstein

USB is , I believe, an Intel thing. CPUs are Intel, Intel works with MS. USBs have been around for years - who is learning from whom? I blame the lot.

Particularly those audio who insist there is no problem (with a thing called universal bus) in the face of evidence. Admit the issue and solve it; do not admit the issue and users turn away after the hype.

Fred, I have several USB flash sticks that are clearly faster on linux than on Windoze.
In the same machine!
Yes, it's an Intel thing...

_________________
Carlos Filipe

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction." Albert Einstein

The latest con is usb3. I bought what was reviewed as 'good', an Adata 16G Drive. Yes it wa 50-60 MB/s read but write? 20 MB/s, same as usb2. I already have eSata which is 50MB/s. Again it is Intel on an Intel board.

My good old Firewaire 400 does 39MB/s both ways.

You are limited by the speed at which the NAND on the flash drive can be written to.

Of course, if you had half a clue about what you were talking about you would have known that already.

So, you guys who know all about computing support dishonest specs?

Crap

It's always been the case that the interface speed is not representative of the actual throughput.

Marketing is dishonest, as it is in every industry.

Well, this can't be argued - you are right.

Btw, terrestrial TV broadcasts have turned digital, so now you see "digital" antennas.
Some moron has told me that the antenna has to be "digital", or it will not work.

_________________
Carlos Filipe

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction." Albert Einstein

The simple arugument is that honest and valid marketing sell products.

The IT induistry is dishonest to the core when even the people who develop and use products believe that the martketing SHOULD be dishonest.

This is an awesome interface:
http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_fireface_400.php

There´s a usb version too. I´m not sure which one is best. Anyway, it´s too expensive for me right now.

-Alex

So, you have experience with the marketing departments within every company of every industry, do you? Such a blanket statement betrays a lack of such experience. The marketing profession is no more INHERENTLY dishonest than it is for any other profession. There are dishonest CEOs, managers, lawyers, doctors, accountants, financiers, preachers, and yes, even some engineers. What is true is that some professions, due to their persuasive function, their non-concrete nature (such as marketing, sales, faith, and politics) simply are more vulnerable to abuse by unprincipled people. It really comes down to the personal character of the management and staff involved.