I’m noticing a strange little problem with the Windows USB support.
When not in Nuendo (just running Windows desktop), if I’m playing music via the SQ-6 it will occasionally ‘drop’. And, by ‘drop’, I mean, I will hear the music stop playing through the SQ-6, I will hear the “be-doop” of a USB device being removed, for a split-second I’ll hear the music come from the PC speaker, then I’ll hear the “do-beep” of a new USB device connection and the music returns through the SQ-6. This will happen every 10 minutes or so, but it’s not consistent.
Now, in Nuendo, I was having these problems initially as well, but adjusted some settings, including having Nuendo create a power plan that’s ideal for USB audio. Since that time, I’ve even run overnight looping testing in Nuendo and it’s rock solid, but exit back to Windows and the intermittent failures return.
I checked the power settings in Windows – including the USB power ones in the details – and all seems correct. But, there’s definitely something different (and more reliable) in Nuendo than Windows.
I recognized something in the same direction.
In my Windows System it belongs to the recording Software wheter multitrack will be recorded without noise or with noise.
Tried it with Ardour and had really hard noise in the tracks.
With Reaper I have really good Recordings.
For me it seems like it belongs to how the Software is “speaking” with the Audio device and if a mix Option is possible (ASIO In, but WDM out). Wenn this Mix is not possible, all is fine, but if you mix the Audio Options than it run into Problems. Perhaps there is something wrong with the ASIO Driver?
Under the Power Options>Advanced Settings>USB Settings make sure that the USB selective suspend settings are set to Disabled. That will prevent Windows from powering down the USB ports. In Control Panel>Sound disable all Windows system sounds.
If you make the SQ the Default Sound Device then all Windows sounds will be routed through it. If you choose the onboard sound card of the computer as the Default Sound Device then those sounds should not be routed through the SQ. Even if it isn’t chosen as the Default Sound Device the SQ should still work just fine for your DAW.
There’s something special about what Nuendo is doing.
On a hunch, I started Nuendo, put it in the background, and went and used Windows media. No dropouts. Close Nuendo, and dropouts will begin again periodically.