Using an ASIO audio driver on Windows
- Live Versions: All
- Operation System: Windows
There are a variety of audio drivers available for Windows, such as ASIO, MME/Direct X, Realtek, Direct Sound, and Direct Capture.
We recommend using an ASIO driver for the following reasons:
- ASIO is a professional-level audio driver for Windows.
- ASIO usually allows you to set lower buffer sizes, which helps to reduce latency.
- ASIO performance is generally stable, with fewer audio dropouts and other artifacts.
ASIO drivers are usually not included on Windows and must be installed separately.
An ASIO driver is usually available from the manufacturer's website if you are using an audio interface. Once installed, open Live's Preferences > Audio, click "Driver Type," and choose the ASIO driver.
If your interface doesn't include an ASIO driver, or if you're using your built-in computer soundcard, we recommend installing ASIO4ALL.
Note: If you use a Focusrite interface from the Scarlett Range, ASIO4ALL seems to conflict with Focusrite's proprietary driver.
In addition to ASIO4ALL, FlexASIO is a good alternative since it's a multi-client operation driver. Especially if you're using multiple applications that need to use the audio driver, for example, youtube or a streaming service like Tidal, iTunes, or Spotify that may be running at the same time or another DAW running in the background.