• Registered: 2011-10-15
  • Posts: 51

Topic: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

I've upgraded to Windows 8 from Windows 7 and now I can't play audio files e.g WAV or MP3's higher than 44.1khz in DSP settings. This is problematic since if I am working on an audio project in my DAW at a higher sample rate, say 96khz, then if I try to play an audio file, Windows Media Player gives me an error message saying Windows can't play the file. The only way to play the file would be to exit my DAW and current project and then play the file at 44.1khz. Obviously this is not workable as I can't keep opening and closing my DAW.

I've noticed that generally, if I change the DSP settings to a higher sample rate first, then go to play an audio file, the DSP settings automatically get reverted back to 44.1khz. It seems that Windows Media Player is overriding somehow the DSP settings.

In Windows 7, audio files would play back fine no matter what the sample rate was set at in DSP settings (in fact I often left the settings at 96khz default to prevent hiss) and I could have my DAW open and be working on projects at higher sample rates and still play back audio files. So what's changed? Please tell me how I can gain back this functionality, I really need it.

Many thanks.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,690

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

If at all, this is a Windows issue or setting... WDM should resample to whatever sample rate the card is running at. have not personally tested this with Win8 yet, though.

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2011-10-15
  • Posts: 51

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Thank you Daniel. Could you please give me some ideas how to change this WDM settings. I am trying to chat with a Microsoft rep but the support is long distance and not very good! Any assistance would be very appreciated, thank you

  • Registered: 2011-10-15
  • Posts: 51

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Perhaps it's a Windows Pro thing since apparently it's the same for Win 7 Pro. When I was using W7 Home Premium, I was able to play back audio files even if my soundcard was set to 192KHz.

Anyway, after a lengthy remote session with a Microsoft assistant, it seems that in order to do what I need, i.e play back audio files when my soundcard is at a higher sample rate, is to first change the rate in the soundcard settings, then go to Playback Devices --> right click on my soundcard from the list and choose properties --> click the advanced tab --> and then manually choose the sample rate from the drop down box. *You need to ensure both check boxes under exclusive mode settings are ticked*.

So any time I change my soundcard sample rate, I need to ALSO change it in the advanced properties under Playback Devices - MANUALLY! This would happen automatically in Windows 7 Home Premium, why they would take away that automatic functionality in Pro versions is very strange.

5 Reply by Indigo ver2 (edited by Indigo ver2 2013-01-21 11:01:13)

  • Registered: 2012-07-16
  • Posts: 8

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Although I can play any sample rate with Windows 7, there is one common problem that aaronnt1 described:

Each and every time I want to change sample rate, I have to go to windows sound setup and change speaker configuration back to 5.1 as it will reset itself to stereo. Then I have to go to speaker properties and change default format back to 24-bit as it will reset itself to 16-bit.
I'm sorry to say but this is a major frustration!
Is there anything that RME drivers could improve?
I suppose this issue would have been fixed long ago if it was easy, but could you please elaborate why it has to be like this?
I know for sure that bit depth settings and speaker configuration is controlled by registry keys. Would it be impossible for RME driver to maintain these settings on sample rate change?
Thanks
Best regards

6 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,432

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

@ aaronnt1: We can reproduce this error. Hopefully this is a small issue in our driver that will be fixed tomorrow.

@ indigo ver2: This issue has been explained in this forum before. It is a bug of Windows 7 that it doesn't remember the state. We were thinking about complicated workarounds but then decided to wait for the next bigger re-write of the HDSPe driver. After the above fix we will see if Windows 8 has a different behavior meanwhile.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

7 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,432

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Unfortunately I have bad news. This seems to be a bug in Windows 8. Microsoft worsened a function that already didn't work 100% under Windows 7.

Only the HDSP series driver is affected, the USB and FireWire drivers use a different method to change the sample rate of the WDM devices.

Changing the HDSP series driver to the other method requires a rewrite in big parts and takes some time. In clear words: no fix within the next two months (unless we find a workaround or similar, which we will keep on trying).

So all we can do at this time is to advise against the usage of Windows 8 if you have a HDSP or HDSPe series card, want to use WDM, and change the sample rate regularly. If you only use ASIO there is no problem.

Bug description again:

Changing the sample rate via the MS WDM change_format command brings up the desired sample rate in the property dialog of the devices, but it is not activated/taken over. This has to be done manually by the user for the playback device that is going to be used.

Go to Sound, tab Playback, select the desired output device, click Properties at the bottom, click the Advanced tab, then manually choose the correct sample rate from the drop down box.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2012-07-16
  • Posts: 8

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

MC wrote:

In clear words: no fix within the next two months (unless we find a workaround or similar, which we will keep on trying).

Sorry to bring old topic up, but I wonder if there is any progress with the issues mentioned here?

9 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,432

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Sorry, no. We wait for Windows Blue, then decide what to do.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2012-07-16
  • Posts: 8

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

I see that new driver has been released with windows 8.1 support.

However I don't see any improvement regarding the sample rate issues discussed here.
I'd like to ask if this is still under development or if these issues have been fixed only with windows 8.1 (and not windows 7 & 8) ?
Thank you.

11 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,432

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Indeed we did not work on this issue so far, sorry. We waited (wait) for the final 8.1, then will examine the whole topic again.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2013-08-24
  • Posts: 9

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

I thought I'd chime in On this issue as I am experiencing the same thing with Windows 7,  RME RayDat card where I can not play MP3s, or other media using Windows player I have to open every file in one of our DAW's, change sample rate to play the file and this is a real pain.    I have confirmed with Jeff Peterson in the US that my hardware and software is all set correctly so, it needs to be addressed in the RME drivers from what It looks like. 

Like others here we sure would appreciate some attention to this issue. 
Thanks in advance
Dave

13 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,432

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

There is no such problem with Windows 7. Which driver version are you using and what is your RayDATs firmware version?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2013-08-24
  • Posts: 9

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

OK, so my Drive is 3.32  and My firmware is 12    I don't know how more to explain my issue and I have windows 7 64 bit I believe it is professional..  I hope  this helps.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,690

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

The current driver is 3.38.

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-21
  • Posts: 4,649

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Hi,

I've been working with David, and can confirm that ASIO is working perfectly, but WDM does not work at all on his system. Drivers and firmware fully updated today. We are now at the point of uninstalling unused audio drivers from Focusrite and Realtek.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2013-08-24
  • Posts: 9

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Jeff, thanks for your time today,  hopefully we can keep trying things...  I will remove the Focusrite drive this coming week.... but to let everyone know what is going on.

I can not play anything with windows media player no matter what sample rate...   I can play everything just fine if I use my Focusrite safire 40 as my sound card. 

I have updated the drivers on the RME to 338 which is the  latest and we updated the firmware on the card to v13 but still no change... 

Everything seems to be working with AISO as my Cubase is working fine, recoding and playing back  Jeff has been good and even took a look in side the computer but still, no WMD at all with the RME.

  • rwil
  • rwil
  • S/Mux specialist
  • Offline
  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 343

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Hi,

I tried to help a friend to which I sold my 9632 PCI long time ago, and he did the move to another PC using win 8.1, and unfortunatly I found that is having the sample rate issue reported here. I know that it is an old card, but is it something that you still expect to work on?
Thanks
r.w.
PS: Glad that my own old FF400 FW is working fine under win 8.1.

Asus P8Z77-V LE Plus_i7-3770K-3.9GHz_DDR3-16GB_Win8.1-x64_TI FW PCI_1xUAD-2_Cubase 4&7
  • Registered: 2009-11-25
  • Posts: 103

Re: Audio files locked at 44.1khz in Windows 8.

Hi,
Has there been any progress made with the FF800 using WDM drivers? I'm trying to use multiple interfaces with Sonar X3 but RME will not allow me to go over 44.1 using WDM drivers.