Windows 10 Stops Recieving Input From ASIO Device

[AltTuning]

I recently upgraded my audio interface from a TASCAM iXR to a TASCAM Model 12.

My DAW, Reaper, can send audio to the Model 12 and receive audio back from the Model 12 no problem, but for some reason in most Windows 10 apps like Voice Recorder, Zoom, Teams, audio goes to the Model 12 but none of the audio from my microphone comes back to Windows. I've verified the latest version of firmware and installed the latest drivers on 3 Windows 10 computers and get the same behavior.

What's interesting is if I open up Reaper, create a track on inputs 1 and 2 or even other tracks and arm the track I can not only get the audio into Reaper, but it suddenly starts working in all of the other Windows apps I mentioned above. As soon as I disarm the track in Reaper it stops working.

Similarly on one of the 3 computers I've tried if install and start ASIO Link Pro as soon as I "Start ASIO" it starts working -- even without patching any audio in ASIO Link Pro or using any of the virtual audio devices associated with it -- the default "Model 12" input just starts working on its own.

It makes me think something is causing the input disable itself, then when certain programs like Reaper or ASIO Link Pro start talking to it, it wakes up and is available to other Windows programs, even non-ASIO-specific ones.

I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers and gone through the sound control panel settings and tried different settings with no change the the above behavior. On one of the computers I've also tried removing all other ASIO drivers and devices before re-installing the Model 12 drivers to get as clean of a start as possible.

At least one of the computers is running 20H2 -- most likely the other 2 are as well -- I'm wondering if there's a compatibility issue with 20H2 as the settings panel says something about working with 1909.

Anyone seen issues like this? Can anyone verify that a Model 12 works with Windows 10 20H2 outside of ASIO-specific application like Voice Recorder without doing anything unusual like the Reaper trick I mentioned?

Thanks!

 

[-mjk-]

It's been my experience that if you have any other ASIO driver installed, it prevents the purpose made driver from working. Is there a specific reason why you aren't using the Tascam ASIO driver for the Model 12?

 

[AltTuning]

MJK, I think that may be the problem -- I am attempting to use the TASCAM-provided driver but no matter what I try the "Microphone (Model 12)" shows up in Device Manager as using the Microsoft driver from Dec. 6, 2019 version 10.0.19041.1. I've attempted to uninstall the device, then run the download "TASCAM_Model_Mixer_Installer_1.20.exe" from TASCAM's website and the Model 12 shows back up in Device Manager immediately afterwards, but as using the Microsoft driver.

When I launch the "TASCAM Model Mixer Settings Panel" which is part of the same installer it shows Software Version 1.20 0016 and Firmware version 1.22 0082 which matches what I expect to see but based on what Device Manager is showing think Windows defaults to using the Microsoft driver instead -- unfortunately the option to browse for a driver only recognizes .INF files, not the executable file from TASCAM.

Interestingly my iXR shows the same behavior in Windows -- I've got the TASCAM iXR driver installed, Software Version 4.00 0013 shows in the TASCAM iXR Settings Panel as expected, but Device Manager shows the same Microsoft driver as it does for the Model 12. The iXR seems to work fine with the Microsoft driver, however.

 

[-mjk-]

Re-reading your previous message, I think I mis-read it. Windows itself doesn't use ASIO drivers. Unless you have drivers that work with Windows audio you are rather stuck. And the Windows drivers are always limited when compared to the ASIO. For example, Dante Virtual Soundcard is 64 x 64 channels in ASIO mode. In WDM mode, it's 16 x 16.

 

[AltTuning]

I'm a bit stumped at this point and wondering if anyone here can confirm the Model 12 works with Windows 10 both as an input and an output to/from regular Windows applications (non-ASIO apps like Voice Recorder, Zoom, Discord, etc.). I'd like to determine if this is a bug or if I have a faulty unit that I need to exchange.

I'm also learning a bit more about Windows audio drivers -- it seems the ASIO driver portion is working without any issues, it's the connection to the Windows Audio side of things that's half broken. I also found that the Model 12 shows up in two different places in Windows Device Manager -- under "Audio inputs and outputs" it is using the driver from Microsoft from 12/6/2019 version 10.0.19041.1, but under "Sound, video and game controllers" it shows up first under the Microsoft driver, but after installing the TASCAM drivers it shows under the driver from TEAC Coproration 1/10/2020 version 15.43.39.95, however the mic input still doesn't work properly.

I ended up sending the following to TASCAM support and hoping they can help troubleshoot further, but would appreciate any ideas from the group here as well:

The Model 12 shows up as both a input (mic) and output (speaker) devices when connected via USB. The speaker function works as expected-audio from Windows can be routed to channels 1&2 on the M12, however the mic function does not. Audio from the M12 is not sent back to Windows, even in stereo mix mode to outputs 1&2. Windows apps like Voice Recorder, Zoom or sound control panel do not see any input from the M12. Same behavior either before or after installing the TASCAM drivers.

ASIO works as expected and interestingly, launching a application using the ASIO interface like Reaper causes the Windows input to start working as long as Reaper is in the foreground. Reaper is minimized or I switch to another window, the mic stops working, then works again if Reapers is back in the foreground. Arming any track on in Reaper or playing any audio, even silence, to the M12, the mic input in Windows also continues to work.

It's almost as if the USB output of the M12 goes to sleep and stops communicating to the Windows audio interface and having any active ASIO application wakes it up. The behavior is very repeatable and I have reproduced it on a total of 4 different Windows 10 computers ranging from 1909 to 20H2 to 21H2. One of which has other audio applications on it, another is a clean system with just bare-bones Windows 10.

In comparison, my iXR works perfectly after installing its drivers on a computer -- both input and output to/from Windows applications works without having to launch any ASIO applications to get it to start sending audio back to Windows.

The M12 came with firmware 1.22 and I even tried reinstalling 1.22 to make sure it was correctly installed, but that made no difference. It does not seem like I can downgrade the firmware to 1.21. In Device Manager, it shows the TEAC Corp driver 1/10/2020 15.43.39.95 under the Sound, video and game controllers section and the Microsoft driver 12/6/2019 10.0.19041.1 in the Audio inputs and output section.

 

[AltTuning]

I found a more workable way around this problem -- in the Sound Control Panel for the Model 12 recording device on the Advanced tab, if I change the Default Format from "2 channel, 24 bit, 48000 Hz (Studio Quality)" to "12 channel, 24 bit, 48000 Hz (Studio Quality)" it starts working immediately. Whatever is going to the Stereo Mix on the Model 12 shows up on in the Sound Control Panel meters and applications like Zoom, Teams and Discord can use the Model 12 as an input. Oddly enough, Voice Recorder stops working -- it fails with "Your microphone is not working" but I can live with that.

 

[AltTuning]

It had been a while since TASCAM support sent this issue over to engineering so I thought I'd follow up -- they got back to me that a new firmware has been released, which includes a fix to this! Just tested it on 3 computers and verified it's fixed now!

Firmware V1.23

• In firmware V1.22, if USB audio mode: STEREO MIX was selected, output would not be sent correctly to the computer. This has been fixed.
• When unit settings were initialized, if USB AUDIO was set to STEREO MIX, that setting was retained. This has been fixed.
• The S/N ratio has been improved when EQ is set.