ASIO Drivers
ASIO stands for "Audio Stream Input/Output." This is a sound card driver protocol used for digital audio geared toward the professional musician rather than standard computer users. Sound engineers and musicians use ASIO for processing audio with computer software rather than on external devices.
ASIO is appealing to this market segment because of its low-latency and high fidelity properties. For example, ASIO bypasses the various layers of operating system software and processes and provides a direct path from the application that the user is using to the sound card. By passing multiple layers, latency is reduced and delays minimized. This high speed, direct path from audio applications directly to the sound card hardware results in a higher fidelity sound. ASIO is championed by a leading PC audio 3rd party developer, Steinberg. It all started back in the mid-1980s with a Commodore 64 and a passion for music. As computer technology improved, Steinberg became an innovator in bringing music to the PC. Steinberg's Cubase software brought music production to the PC and quickly became a serious alternative to analog tape equipment. By 1995, Steinberg introduced WaveLab which has since become a must-have audio editing tool for professional musicians. In 1997, ASIO was released as an open standard along with Virtual Studio Technology. ASIO is the backbone of the Virtual Studio Technology. ASIO supports multi-channel operation, variable bit depths and sample rates, and synchronization. While ASIO powers many Steinberg applications, it has also been adopted by other leading hardware manufacturers. Low latency coupled with high fidelity and performance along with stable audio capabilities and ease of use keep ASIO at the forefront of professional audio. Steinberg has since been acquired by Pinnacle Systems and then later by Yamaha but the brand – and ASIO – lives on. While Steinberg has carved a niche amongst audio professionals, it is starting to appeal to entry level computer users. In 2007, a new product, Sequel, was introduced. Sequel brings professional level audio technology to entry level computer users. » Download ASIO Drivers |
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