support for ASIO audio drivers?

Edit Subject

Hi Jesse,
I can't say whether we're planning to add ASIO as a feature, but you're certainly not the first one to request it. The two main benefits I'm aware of are:

1. Recording more than two channels simultaneously. ASIO allows for more than 2 channels to be streamed into an application at once. This is useful in pro audio settings for multi-tracking (recording an entire band or a drumset, etc.). However, the audio gear I use also has a WDM driver, which my audio editing software will readily use. WDM is not as flexible when it comes to channel count. But for stereo recordings, it is usually sufficient. Personally, I have trouble imagining a screen recording scenario where more than 2 channels are needed. But, that probably just means I have a terrible imagination :-). If we were to allow such an option, there are a lot of usability questions to be answered. Do we write all those channels out to separate files? Do we create a single video file with 6-channel audio?
2. Latency. ASIO allows an application to get much closer to the hardware. This can dramatically lower the time it takes to capture samples. This is also crucial for pro audio tasks, since you often want to record a new track alongside existing material. Constantly having to drag audio clips around to get them lined up can be frustrating. Application that expect some latency can often compensate for it automatically. CS currently supports voice narration, allowing you to add audio to an existing timeline. I haven't had a lot of trouble with voice recordings being out of sync with my timeline. But, if there are users having issues with it, and they have pro audio devices, I could certainly see how ASIO would make a difference.

While those are both helpful features, I would thinkthe most likely reason for implementing ASIO is that some hardware manufacturers just refuse to provide anything but ASIO drivers for their cards. Or, if they do provide a WDM driver, it's poorly written.

So, are you looking for ASIO support because your hardware does not have a WDM driver? Or, are you more interested in the other two benefits outlined above? This will help us decide the best way to solve the problem if it is put on the table for a future release.

Keep the feedback coming!

Randy,
Thanks for the reply. Our hardware does have WDM drivers and they are poorly written - but functional for recording channels 1&2. We would like to use the digital inputs to the hardware since our machines are isolated from our recording space and long analog audio lines are undesirable. This would also allow us to use our standard routing lines between rooms, avoid the now mandatory multiple A>D>A>D conversions, and give us better record level monitoring. Unfortunately these digital inputs are not the default 1 & 2 inputs that the WDM driver can see so we cannot use them.
I have seen many recordings with consumer audio cards that impart DC offset and have inadequate level monitoring and headroom. Often the effort to repair these is great.
Please add ASIO driver support.
Thanks,
Jesse Olley

Ah, thank you for pointing out what I missed. It's not safe to assume that the two channels that WDM decides to map are the ones a user is interested in recording. You'll get no argument from me on whether the difference in sound quality from a pro card is noticeable :-).
As with all feature requests, I can't promise anything, but you're definitely helping to make the case for adding it. Thanks for taking the time to spell that out for us.

Yes, in addition to analog versus digital inputs there are also line versus mic inputs which may only be available on specific channels.
And while recording multiple inputs might not seem popular I can imagine someone recording voice and music and system sounds on separate tracks live so they can balance them properly later.
Thanks
Jesse Olley

Jesse I could not agree more with you and hope they make this a Definite Feature Request and get something done in the next version. I have been asking for this for a long time now. I would also like to see them implement Firewire Devices for Audio and Video instead of just USB which leaves a user who has a Digital Firewire Interface or Mixer like the PreSonus, Mackie, Yamaha's, etc. out of the picture. And when it comes to some of the new video cameras it would be nice to see the Firewire added so you could connect them up to use with Camtasia instead of having to do all the separate editing (time consuming).

Randy I hope you will take this as Feature Requests and hopefully help push to get this done in the next version. I know it would definatley make more users with today's technology want to use the TechSmith Product for their screen recording solutions. However, I do understand that their is no one perfect solution and magical do all buttons to do everything a user would like to do. That is why we have to use different software applications for different things. It would be a true miracle to see it all done in on software package but, I do not see that happening in the near future.

Thanks for looking, listening and responding to the users requests and solutions here on this forum. Keep up the great work and try to keep us informed on this subject.

Thanks David. We do as you suggest since there is no support for pro audio devices in camtasia. However we cannot record this audio live and in sync with screen actions, this is why we need camtasia in the first place.
So we are left with a choice of good asynchronous audio or poor sync'd audio...

Jesse

yh i thought already about ur idea David, but as Jesse said the problem is that its getting asyncron and when u show something like doing a preset for a synths live in a tutorial u cant show it clearly 'cos u dont get it synced with the video.
i hope u guys from TechSmith can make it possible.

~Ameyah

provides low latency asio to perform work with audio.Em other words the software would be able cantasia
videos to create 100% pro.

example:
video lessons in music production software with audio using asio as a worldwide standard hardware technology
faser to high CPU usage without causing delay or loss of quality of real-time workstation.

Low-latency ASIO Steinberg Technologies

SDK: http://www.steinberg.net/en/company/d...

Thanks David. I would still agree with the other users on this subject and hope to see TechSmith put this at the top of the Feature Request List. I would love to see the ASIO supported for the fact it will then recognize a digital mixer and we can use all the channels and it would also be nice to see Firewire Devices supported. For example: The Presonus 24 Digital Mixer or any other digital mixers use the Firewire Interfaces and if they are not supported synching audio is kind of a pain when using Camtasia Studio and other alternate audio editing software. Multi-Channels are nice to have. Keep us informed on TechSmith's plans on this and if it might be possible in the next version. Thank you.

Hey,

ASIO drivers are the 'the way' to go, but only if You're talking about ASIO drivers provided by hardware manufacturers. Any 3rd party solution would only worsen the quality of the sound (example: asio4all)....and to be honest - they're
pretty unstable (app crashes and stuff).

Anyway, thanks very much for the reply and hopefully we, the users, will be pleasantly surprised when Camtasia 8 premieres.
Good luck!

regards,
Mark

Randy,
Thanks for your reply on this thread. At least we know you're paying attention to our request.
To be clear, at least in my situation, ASIO support would allow the use of more than just the first and second audio inputs to external hardware. We would like to send a digital audio signal to camtasia but these are not 1&2 so the windows driver cannot see it.

Best,
Jesse Olley

ok ill try to explain what i want.

im running Ableton as DAW and Asio4all on a M-Audio Audiophile 192. i using atm only MME/DirectX out of my daw. problem is now ive got lots of spikes cos the these audio protocoll is pretty bad with the handling of the signal - i have to render a lot of my vst plugins to audio cos it kills the the native audio driver nearly.
(its not a cpu problem - cpu runs at 20% only)
i would like to record the asio output from my soundcard easy into camtasia like i do now atm with the MME/DirectX signal.

i really hope you devs can make this possible!

Hi, let me start off by saying I love Camtasia Studio, best thing EVER!
I also love that i can do tutorials and such, but when it comes to making music tutorials (In FL. Studio) I can't because my projects require ASIO so I wont get the crackling sounds and CPU load usage that I usually get when i use my primary soundcard (SB Audigy)

I'm sure there is plenty of folks out there with this same problem, can you we make this possible? let's hope so :-)

Thank you!

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Support ASIO4ALL.

Until ASIO is added the only solution I know is what I tried to describe to Ameyah. Use two machines and a remote desktop connection. Machine 1 has your tutorial running ASIO. Machine 2 has camtasia and connects via remote desktop to machine 1. Connect the analog audio out of machine 1 into the first inputs on the second machine. Set camtasia to record the remote desktop window and the line in audio.
I hope this gets you by...

Jesse

Camtasia is the indispensable tool for my business. However, it's a severe headache for me because I'm creating professional audio tutorials and my host software must run ASIO drivers. First of all clicks and drop outs constantly occur when working in audio software without ASIO and also WDM drivers degradate sound quality. It's ok for usual tutorial but not for pro audio one. Unfortunatly, Camtasia doesn't record sound that comes from my software, i.e system sounds, because ASIO doesn't allow it. I record my voice directly to camtasia. It's Ok. But we need 'easy to use' solution that allows us to record sound from ASIO into Camtasia.
Regards,
Vasily

I'm really surprised and dismayed that Camtasia does not record ASIO, I've been battling pretty much all day trying to get a work-around going, couldn't get anything reliably recording the way I wanted. I'm using Cubase and 'simply' want to record the audio output & my mic to Camtasia.
For such an expensive product, I can't believe this is not supported. I really want to use Camtasia, as I can see it's a great product, I really want to love this software and record many a tutorial, but until ASIO support is implemented, unfortunately I have to say I will not be buying it. Which is a big shame.

LOL

BB Flashback 4 Screen recording software sees ALL the channels in my M-Audio NRV10 !! This is simply disgusting that Camtasia lets another company beat them to it. I just paid for the BB flashback software and even though its $100 cheaper...camtasia's workflow is way better. But I have to use a "lessor" program just because I need the software to read the channels of my mixer. TechSmith you blew it. I would suggest everyone hear try the BB Flashback 4 demo just to see if it fits. Like I said..the editing takes a while to get used to....but being able to select what audio channel i want to record is AWESOME.

We've managed to work around the asio issue with lots of additional equipment but the V8 volume bugs are killing me! Does BB change the volume of your audio randomly? If not I'm interested!

I also need ASIO, thanks for the info on BB flashback Dougie L, I'll test the demo.

yee just recorded a video with cmatasia and forgot to set to MME output - 30+ minutes wasted because the screen capture has no audio. :(

come on implement ASIO into Camtasia its still a mess without it.