Thread: Help with Console, card,PC setup for online "jamming"

wow not even a guess??

Set up a profile where your on-board sound card is disabled and all the junk operating system audio as well as your input monitoring is sent out through the FastTrack Ultra.

Thank you so much for answering this question of mine. I am, however not exactly certain of how to do this. Are you saying I can use my FTU as full duplex soundcard? Meaning I can stream audio in and out so the world can hear me (over the web of course) play a lead part over a backing track? If so you have made me one happy camper.

I tried for weeks to get someone from M-audio to help, they wouldn't respond...so i appreciate your assistance more than you know.

Kind Regards,
Mark

I've never used a Fast Track Ultra, but I see no reason why it could not be set up to be the main default computer audio input and output device. I suggest you get it working like that so a simple audio program such as Audacity can record and replay using it.

However, to go beyond that and carry out live jamming over the internet requires applications to work bi-directionally (full duplex) on your computer. These applications generally have nothing directly to do with the type of audio I/O device you have installed. If you get the audio to the stage where Audacity works correctly for recording while playing (tracking), and you still have no interactive internet operation, this points to where you need to direct your efforts. Audio today, jam tomorrow.

Hey thanks again for jumping in here. I should have shared more with you when I originally posted. I actually have a home recording studio. I use Sonar (I have used Cakewalk for about 12 years now) and various outboard effects rack mounted fed into a console that feeds the rest of my gear and applications. I don't tell you this for ANY other reason then for you to know that the things you tell me and the terminology used will be completely understood.

I was told and have since learned to know was a fact that my previous card a FW410 from M-Audio was indeed not able to process I/O for what I am asking for help here on. But from what I am beginning to understand is that The fast track ultra being USB and not FW ( I don't know why this makes a diff) IS able to do as you suggest.

My question remains...how would I go about configuring it? You say just shut down the realtek and point the system to the FTU?

The FW410 has only 2 mic pre-amps where the Fast Track Ultra has 4. The audio quality is probably much the same between the two interface. Disabling the on-board sound card has nothing to do with whether your external audio interface is via a FireWire or USB connection.

At a quick glance, I can't see that you have said what type of computer you are running or what operating sytem, so I can't be specific about how to turn off the internal sound card. However, as an example, the Windows 7 Control Panel has an entry for Hardware and Sound, and within that, an entry for "Manage Audio Devices" in the Sound paragraph. You can turn off internal audio devices from there.

OK thanks let me try these suggestions and see what I can get rolling...thanks

Originally Posted by Boswell

The FW410 has only 2 mic pre-amps where the Fast Track Ultra has 4. The audio quality is probably much the same between the two interface. Disabling the on-board sound card has nothing to do with whether your external audio interface is via a FireWire or USB connection.

At a quick glance, I can't see that you have said what type of computer you are running or what operating sytem, so I can't be specific about how to turn off the internal sound card. However, as an example, the Windows 7 Control Panel has an entry for Hardware and Sound, and within that, an entry for "Manage Audio Devices" in the Sound paragraph. You can turn off internal audio devices from there.

I am sorry I am lost, Boswell. I don't use the FW device anymore. My question was, in a nutshell, can the M-Audio fast Track Ultra operate full duplex? So I can stream backing tracks and my live lead playing out over the internet.
Meaning can I play over a backing track and have the www hear both sources of audio?

I am on Windows 7.

Thanks