Buffer is too big, can't set it low enough

[bencuri]

I have a computer running both MacOS and Windows. My interface is: Alesis iO4. When used in MacOS in Logic, I can set the buffer to 32, and everything is fine, it can playback and record without clicks.

In Windows this is not the case. I need to set it to 256 to make sure there is never lagging on playback. But that way, I can't record with Software Monitoring properly. For example I have some guitar plugins that I like to use right when recording. They add a bit of latency as well, and that, together with the 256 buffer is too much.

What can you do in this case? It seems the interface and computer is capable of better performance, so how to achieve that in Windows?

I use Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 with Asio4all v 2.10, that is the official driver for my device downloaded from the manufacturer.

[mister happy]

If you want to run Windows with low buffers and reliable operation, your best chance is to identify and use a hardware product supported by an excellent purpose-written software driver.

A hardware product that specifies that it relies on ASIO4ALL as the primary audio driver is unlikely to offer you the desired performance.

[MiddleC]

Just to clarify, ASIO4ALL is linked from the manufacturers page, but it's not an actual Alesis driver. It's more accurate to say they're washing their hands of the need to make one... here's a free alternative.

Macs are just... better. In this regard. ASIO is an end-run around heavy, slow Windows drivers.

ASIO4ALL is better than nothing... but as Mister Happy said, it's not as good as actual drivers authored by the vendor.

[mschnell]

ASIO4ALL is not a driver but a wrapper around the standard Windows sound system driver. Hence it never helps with performance issues.