ASIO4ALL "device did not start correctly" error

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#1

I have now reinstalled Flock, after reinstalling ASIO4ALL and the Realtek drivers on this DELL Windows 10 laptop, which has an ASIO capability.

The first step, after connecting microphone and headphones, is to select ASIO and set sample rate, etc. I have a choice of Realtek ASIO and ASIO4ALL V2.

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ASIO4ALL V2 gives me “Error when trying to open audio device! Device didn’t start correctly” and blocks all further progress.

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Realtek ASIO offers a choice of sample rates from 44100 to 192000 but does nothing when I choose 44100. The only Audio buffer size on offer 1s 1024. The Control Panel button does nothing. With these settings, your excellent Health check gives me
---- v 1.3.9----
Wired internet connection?: Wire
Can we reach the flock server?: Yes!
Central server can reach flock app?: Yes!
How long to connect to your router?: 1.33ms
Download speed: 44.61 Mbit/s
Upload speed: Unknown
Internet Ping: 25.05 Ms
Audio buffer size equals 128?: 1024 Samples
Audio sample rate equals 44100?: 0 Hz
Computing challenge speed test: 0.98 Seconds
---- 10----

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I can select Windows audio (low latency mode) but the only values available are 48000 Hz and buffer sizes of 144 and more. This gives
---- v 1.3.9----
Wired internet connection?: Wire
Can we reach the flock server?: Yes!
Central server can reach flock app?: Yes!
How long to connect to your router?: 1.33ms
Download speed: Unknown
Upload speed: Unknown
Internet Ping: Unknown
Audio buffer size equals 128?: 144 Samples
Audio sample rate equals 44100?: 48000 Hz
Computing challenge speed test: 0.98 Seconds
---- 10----

I don’t know what to try next. For what it’s worth, Jamulus works OK with ASIO4ALL V2. With Realtek ASIO, it has a lot of distortion, no settings dialog. When I first loaded Jamulus, a year ago, the Realtek ASIO just worked. I didn’t need ASIO4ALL until after loading a new version.

Robin

#2

I’m assuming you don’t have an external audio interface and you are plugging in your headset with an audio jack rather than USB. If that’s not the case, just reply with make/model of audio interface and what USB headset you’re using.

Given your setup, Windows audio and Realtek ASIO are sub-optimal choices. If we can get it to work, ASIO4ALL is the best of those 3 choices… I’ve seen the “Error when trying to open audio device! Device didn’t start correctly” once before. In that case it was solved by doing an uninstall of Flock and deleting the Flock folder which has all the config files and then re-installing.

Here’s info on how to find and delete that Flock folder
https://community.flock.digital/t/troubleshooting-guide/85#heading–installer

I’m also adding @Jan to this thread who has experience with this issue.

#3

Same error.

Yes, I had seen the previous post but I did not delete the folder. This time, I deleted the Flock folder too and the result is unchanged.

No audio interface. (I have a Behringer U-Control UCA202. It has RCA line-level inputs. I have not been able to make it work with a microphone. Any suggestions much apprectiated.)

So headphones into TRRS jack (with a broken input connection). USB microhone (Yeti).

Jamulus + ASIO4ALL v2 works fine…

btw. In what way sub-optimal? What are the parameters and how can I verify them?

#4

To be honest I’m not really sure what to suggest.

I spoke to the other person who had the same error and he has a very similar setup to yours.

  • Uses Jamulus with ASIO4ALL
  • He has a Behringer UMC22 audio interface which uses ASIO4ALL rather than it’s own proprietary ASIO driver.

He got it working with Windows exclusive mode and also at 144 samples, but it was not stable.

In the end his solution was to use another Windows laptop with ASIO4ALL - no Jamulus and no Behringer. And it is now working fine at 128 samples.

I’m not sure if that is at all helpful for you. It sounds like you’re not using the Behringer, so it could possibly have something to do with Jamulus taking some type of exclusive control over ASIO4ALL.

#5

Thanks. I can’t afford another laptop right now. I do have a spare Raspberry Pi. Is there a linux version of Flock? In prospect?

I borrowed a Behringer XENYX Q802USB mixing desk. It does not fix the problem.

#6

Behringer UMC22 audio interface - same error.

#7

Not yet but it’s on the To Do list.

The other guy had the UMC22 and the same error message. In fact, same error both with and without the UMC22 so I think the audio interface in this case is not relevant to the problem. We spent a lot of time on his computer with 2 developers and couldn’t figure it out. The only thing we did not try (he was not willing to do it) was to uninstall Jamulus, ASIO4ALL and Flock and then reinstall Flock and ASIO4ALL. My intuition is Jamulus is somehow taking exclusive use of ASIO4ALL.

#8

Removing Jamulus has not helped. Same error.

#9

That’s a pity. Thanks very much for giving it a try.

If you are not the Leader then you could go with Windows low latency mode, 48,000 Hz and 144 samples. Make sure your headphones and mic are setup at 48,000 Hz in Windows control panel → sound settings. Flock should work with those settings but as I said, the other singer who had the same problem as you found it to be temperamental - sometimes it worked fine, sometimes not.

If you’re the Leader then Flock requires you to be on 44,100 Hz. In contrast, Singers can use either 44,100 or 48,000 but we recommend 44,100. The main reason for this recommendation is to have everyone on the same sample rate so there are fewer connections doing translation between 48,000 and 44,100

#10

FYI. Partial success. Your suggestion of Low Latency mode did not work but I tried Exclusive mode and 144 samples, following the person you mentioned. This got me into the room with the choir but all I could hear was regular intermittent sound, about half a word every second. I was able to leave the room for a Health Check:

---- v 1.3.9----
Wired internet connection?: Wire
Can we reach the flock server?: Yes!
Central server can reach flock app?: Yes!
How long to connect to your router?: 1.00ms
Download speed: Unknown *******
Upload speed: Unknown *******
Internet Ping: Unknown *******
Audio buffer size equals 128?: 144 Samples ***
Audio sample rate equals 44100?: 44100 Hz
Computing challenge speed test: 0.98 Seconds
---- 10----

I then found that I can access Settings from inside the room and I was able to select ASIO4ALL. After this, I can join the room and hear clearly. I have to shout to be heard, but that may be a separate problem.

---- v 1.3.9----

Wired internet connection?: Wire
Can we reach the flock server?: Yes!
Central server can reach flock app?: Yes!
How long to connect to your router?: 1.00ms
Download speed: Unknown *******
Upload speed: 5.51 Mbit/s
Internet Ping: Unknown *******
Audio buffer size equals 128?: 128 Samples
Audio sample rate equals 44100?: 44100 Hz
Computing challenge speed test: 0.94 Seconds
---- 10----

#11

Ok that sounds like v good progress.

For the difficulty being heard, here are a few things to check:

  • is there a physical volume control on the mic that you can adjust? if yes, make it louder.
  • is background noise cancellation enabled in Windows settings for your mic? If yes, then disable it.
  • is background noise removal enabled in Flock? Go to Settings and put both sliders for Background Noise removal to the left.

More info here: https://community.flock.digital/t/troubleshooting-guide/85#heading–mic-setup