Sound Playback

[Lunatico]

Hi
In Soundshaper Settings, under Sound Playback, by default, the option: Media Player/WaveMapper is selected.
I want to assign it to my Traktor Audio 10 card.
I choose 12 Main Output Traktor Audio 10.
How to save this new configuration? 
I have tried all options; Initial Setup Save, Change Settings OK and Save Seetings File SAVE and when I reopen Soundshaper the Media Player/WaveMapper option is back.

[Lunatico]

In Settings - Sample Type (Bits) there are two options: 16 and 32 bits.

Why is it not possible to choose 24 bits?

[Robert Fraser]

1) Soundcard: I can confirm your finding. The settings page does always seem to display "WaveMapper", even when the settings file has been saved (and presumably loaded) with a specific choice. I'll need to check the code on this and post another reply. It's worth noting that "WaveMapper" chooses Windows' default sound output - whatever you've set that to.

2) 16 versus 32-bit is not really what it seems. The distinction is really between 16/24-bit Integers and 32-bit Floats, which CDP handles slightly differently. In general CDP's output format matches the input, so 24-bit integer files will be handled by the '16' setting OK (I've just tested this to confirm). It should be easy enough to change the choices, but that could lead to a bit of confusion if a '24' setting appeared to preclude 16-bit files, which it doesn't. I'll consider changing the choice to 'Int' versus 'Float', which will be clearer.

Another option would be to convert all input internally to 32-bit floats, which would be better in many ways. Files could then be saved to 24-bit integers if the user wishes. 

[Robert Fraser]

I want to assign it [sound output] to my Traktor Audio 10 card.

I've investigated this and found the bug, but have no immediate fix. When reading the settings file on startup, the program compares the listed playback device with a Windows list of available devices; if there's no match it uses the default (WaveMapper). The reason there's no match is something to do with CDP device numbers not matching Windows ones. However, there's more to this than changing a device number, because I tried to force one, but didn't get any change. I need to look more closely at how these devices are assigned for playing. When I've found this, the rest should be fixable. For now, the workaround is probably to change the sound output in Windows settings to the card you want to use, and the WaveMapper will use that.   

Thanks for raising this issue.

[Lunatico]

Hi Robert
It's a pleasure to read your comments, you always learn something new and interesting.
They say the best quality is 32 bit but I guess that's if you create an original wav from synth-synthesis-wave. What I'm not clear is when you import in soundshaper samples of different format, 16 or 24 bits, which is the best quality to export it, if you respect its original bits or transform them (with soundshaper processes) and export them as 32 bits?
* For now, the workaround is probably to change the sound output in Windows settings to the card you want to use, and the WaveMapper will use that.
- Ok, Thanks for the suggestion, I will try to see if it detects it this way.

[Robert Fraser]

The merits or otherwise of various soundfile formats is not something I can usefully comment on, other than to say more bits are more accurate (give a wider dynamic range). I'll pass this question to Richard Dobson, who may have a thought or two on the matter.