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Topic: Hardware or software resampling? (soundcards) (Read 5286 times) previous topic - next topic
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Hardware or software resampling? (soundcards)

Hello,

I believe I have searched widely for an answer to the question but if it has been answered numerous times I apologize:

Anyway, I was wondering which solution is preferable when resampling audio: resampling audio through the soundcard (Asus Essence ST or better) or through software solutions (either SOX, Jriver, Foobar or whatever your choice may be).

Are there numerical differences?
Are there perceptual differences?


Best regards,
Mikkel


Hardware or software resampling? (soundcards)

Reply #2
In general each situation has to be tested individually - technical tests of dynamic range and frequency response are usually considered to be sufficient.  The Audio Rightmark freeware should be sufficient.

I'm not sure that there are any known audible problems in this area at this time.

The classic example of an audio interface with audible problems due to inadequate hardware resampling was the first generation Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! back in the late 1990s.  AFAIK CL even eventually rewrote the drivers for that ancient piece to circumvent this problem.

The line between hardware and software is so completely blurred at this time that granting an inherent advantage to one or the other makes no sense.

What I'm saying is that you probably have more pressing concerns...  ;-)

Hardware or software resampling? (soundcards)

Reply #3
Thank you both for your replies. RightMark scores come out as 'excellent' for all sample rates for the Asus Essence ST so if dynamic range and frequency response can be taken as an indicator then indeed hardware resampling of this card is good (I can post the results if anybody is interested... for whatever reason :-)).

@Arnold: I will take your word for it since indeed I have other more pressing worries (which may not be audio related :-D).

Once again thank you.


Best regards,
Mikkel

 

Hardware or software resampling? (soundcards)

Reply #4
then indeed hardware resampling of this card is good
....
Once again thank you.


I do not understand, what hardware resampling?

Hardware or software resampling? (soundcards)

Reply #5
Quote
I do not understand, what hardware resampling?
Done by the soundcard or the soundcard driver, rather than by an application. 

Typically, "hardware" resampling is going to be done in real-time during recording or playback, and software resampling will be applied to a file on your hard drive, to be changed and re-saved . 

As Arnold said, it's a blurry line...  If it's done in the soundcard hardware, it's done by a DSP chip which is running internal "firmware".    The "average" soundcard is NOT going to have a DSP chip.  And of course, a driver is software.

You could do it entirely in hardware by going digital-to-analog-to-digital, but that's not going to happen automatically or accidentally.

Hardware or software resampling? (soundcards)

Reply #6
Please try to observe context. The question was what hardware resampling, since phofman already posted that the hardware in question has no such capability.

That card has no DSP capability, all processing is done in the driver.

Hardware or software resampling? (soundcards)

Reply #7
While the same things are conceptually possible in digital real-time hardware pipelines as in digital software, the practical limitations may be different (delay concerns, available memory, processing power, etc).

My fairly recent TC electronics "home studio" firewire external interface has radically worse performance according to RMAA at anything but 24/96 ASIO. The response from TC electronics was that the RMAA guys must be doing something wrong...

-k