- Computer audio playback<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- DAW playback<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Audio interfaces and sound cards<\/strong><\/a>
- Setting up an audio interface on Mac<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- Setting up an audio interface on PC<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Audio interface integration with your DAW<\/strong><\/a>
- Headphone routing<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- Direct monitoring<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat is audio playback?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Audio playback is based\non the native PC or macOS sound settings and is determined by the settings for\nyour computer\u2019s outputand inputdevices. Computers can play back\naudio from multiple sources simultaneously, such as audio streaming software,\nvideo games, or your DAW, with the aid of your computer\u2019s motherboard\/sound\ncard audio drivers. (Think of these software drivers as \u201ctechnology\ntranslators.\u201d They allow hardware from lots of different manufacturers to\ncommunicate with each other.) Without the correct drivers installed and\nimplemented, audio input and output will not be achieved. For example, without\nan output device like a computer\u2019s built-in speakers, the audio has no\ndestination and won\u2019t be heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nComputer audio playback<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For applications that\ndon\u2019t have dedicated sound device settings (a web browser, for example), your\ncomputer will default to the native OS audio driver settings. This is fine for\nthe most part, but DAWs such as Cubase and Pro Tools prefer the use of\nspecialized drivers that are optimized for their specific input and output\nsettings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nDAW playback<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Some DAWs and other audio\nstreaming software have dedicated input and output sound settings that are\ncompletely independent from the standard native OS sound settings. The playback from hardware\ncan be customized within your DAW. It can be the main stereo audio outputs, a\nsecondary pair of studio monitors, headphones, or a combination of all three.\nBut for recording, you often need to monitor the direct signal from inputs\nconnected to your interface, such as a live microphone or guitar, so you may\nneed to adjust the blend\/balance of DAW playback and direct monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Audio interfaces and sound cards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
External hardware, such\nas an audio interface, has its own playback configuration. This is typically\naided by separate drivers. Most interfaces come with unique standalone software\napplications where you can update various software and hardware settings such\nas routing configurations (for headphone monitoring, as an example). Before\nanything else, go to the manufacturer\u2019s website and check to see if any driver\nsoftware is necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Setting up an audio interface on Mac<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- From the Menu Bar, click the Apple <\/strong>icon and select System Preferences<\/strong>.<\/li>
- Click Sound <\/strong>(look for the speaker icon).<\/li>
- Under the Input <\/em>and Output <\/em>tabs, select your audio interface as the primary playback and recording device.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nSetting up an audio interface on PC<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
TIP: <\/strong>It\u2019s always good practice\nto install the audio driver before <\/em>connecting your audio interface. If\nyou don\u2019t, then it may create an audio driver conflict, which will result in\nconnectivity issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- Right-click the Speaker <\/strong>icon on the Windows taskbar and select Open Sound Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>
- Use the dropdown boxes in the Input <\/em>and Output <\/em>sections to select the audio interface as the default input and output device.<\/li>
- While in the Sound Settings menu, we highly recommend disabling Exclusive Mode to ensure the best performance possible. Check out our guide to learn how to disable Exclusive Mode<\/a>.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThird-party audio drivers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Most manufacturers create\ntheir own audio driver software in order for their interface to work correctly.\nOnce installed, the audio interface can then be selected within your audio\nstreaming software. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember, applications that\ndon\u2019t have separate sound settings do not rely on the type of driver installed.\nInstead, the software will use the playback engine currently set as the default\ninput and output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nClass-compliant audio interfaces<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Some interfaces are\nclass-compliant, which means they are designed to work in tandem with your\nnative OS sound settings, and no additional driver software is required. While\nclass-compliant interfaces use your OS sound settings, many DAWs require a certain\ndriver protocol (e.g., ASIO), so an aggregate device or other driver may be\nneeded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>Audio interface integration with your DAW<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Setting up your audio\ninterface within a DAW is undoubtedly the most important thing to do in the\ncomputer audio recording world. While you may be tempted to launch your DAW and\npress record, you\u2019ll likely need to take the time to make sure everything is set\nup correctly, or else you may encounter problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Headphone routing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Earlier in this article, we mentioned using an interface\u2019s standalone software to set up headphone routing. However, some interfaces may not have the capability or the number of hardware outputs necessary, so you may need to get a dedicated headphone distribution amp<\/a> and update the routing within your DAW. You\u2019ll then go into your DAW\u2019s audio settings and create a cue mix. Every DAW is different, but the headphone routing settings commonly rely on the use of aux tracks. Be sure to check out the DAW\u2019s owner\u2019s manual for instructions on updating its settings and how to create monitor mixes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nDirect monitoring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
TIP: <\/strong>If you have a computer\nthat can handle very low buffer sizes, you may not need to enable direct\nmonitoring when recording tracks that have effects plug-ins. If you do need to\ntrack while hearing the processed signal, then use the fewest number of\nplug-ins possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Direct monitoring allows\nyou to use the signal coming in from your signal source (guitar, vocal mic,\nkeyboard, etc.) and feed it directly to your headphones, so the signal bypasses\nyour computer (avoiding any latency [delay] that might introduce) and is sent\ndirectly to your headphone and line outputs. Depending on what you\u2019re\nrecording, you may want to choose one option over the other, so here are a few\nexamples to help steer you in the right direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Input](\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/02\/Input-monitoring-vs-direct-monitoring-diagram-1024x348.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nPlayback vs. Direct monitoring on an audio interface<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nRecording vocals<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- Direct monitoring will bypass all effect inserts on the vocal track and will be monitored directly from the audio output. <\/li>
- Direct monitoring can be recorded in time with the rest of the music and not with potential latency that would result in a doubling, chorus-like effect. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Recording guitars<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- If you have direct monitoring enabled when using a guitar amp sim plug-in, the guitar amp sim\u2019s signal is considered the processed (wet)signal.<\/li>
- If direct monitoring is enabled and you have your headphones on, you\u2019ll only hear the dry guitar signal. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, many interfaces nowadays solve this issue with a direct monitor blend (some units label it as a mixer<\/em>) feature, sometimes in the form of a knob on the interface or in its standalone routing software. This gives you the best of both worlds because you\u2019ll be able to hear the post-processed input signal while recording, and you also won\u2019t experience latency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- If the knob\/fader is turned to the Playback <\/strong>or DAW <\/strong>position, you\u2019ll hear less of the input (dry) signal and more of the return signal from the DAW. If the knob\/fader is turned to the Input <\/strong>position, you\u2019ll hear more of yourself and less of the playback signal.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
TIP: <\/strong>Sometimes people may\nthink something is wrong with their hardware or software because they can\u2019t\nhear post-processed input signal. Most of the time, it\u2019s because direct\nmonitoring is enabled. If you\u2019re ever in a situation like this, the first step\nin troubleshooting is to double-check and make sure you don\u2019t have direct\nmonitoring enabled. Sometimes the easiest solution can get overlooked!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"computer](\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/02\/computer-audio-interface-signal-chain-661x1024.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nCommon audio interface signal chain<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIs your interface not showing up?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
If your interface isn\u2019t showing up when you try to select it in your DAW, then reconnect the interface by unplugging it and plugging it back in. If you are using a TASCAM interface, try reconfiguring the USB connections so that the TASCAM interface is connected directly to your computer, not through a hub (powered or passive) or router. If the problem persists, try a different USB port or cable. Visit our Windows<\/a> and Mac<\/a> guides for more tips on resolving audio device connectivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- If the knob\/fader is turned to the Playback <\/strong>or DAW <\/strong>position, you\u2019ll hear less of the input (dry) signal and more of the return signal from the DAW. If the knob\/fader is turned to the Input <\/strong>position, you\u2019ll hear more of yourself and less of the playback signal.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Use the dropdown boxes in the Input <\/em>and Output <\/em>sections to select the audio interface as the default input and output device.<\/li>
- Click Sound <\/strong>(look for the speaker icon).<\/li>
- Direct monitoring<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Setting up an audio interface on PC<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- DAW playback<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>