The device is being used by another application

Al Min wrote on 12/24/2009, 2:54 PM

I have my new 64 bit Win 7 machine running VP9c fine, but it seems to be stealing the focus for Windows sounds.When I try to configure Windows to use the external sound card for its own sounds, I get "The device is being used by another application". Is there any way to tell Vegas to let go of the sound card when it exits? I think my audio program (Sonar 8.5) is doing the same, as I cant get the Windows sounds operating at all.

Comments

Al Min wrote on 12/25/2009, 10:26 AM

So, has no one else had this problem?

Former user wrote on 12/25/2009, 10:38 AM

If you boot the computer and don't run any other applications, can you access the sound card? Is it only after you run Vegas or Sonar that you lose control?

Dave T2

JohnnyRoy wrote on 12/25/2009, 11:06 AM

> When I try to configure Windows to use the external sound card for its own sounds, I get "The device is being used by another application".

You should not be configuring Windows to use your external sound card. You should have Windows use the on-board sound chip for your motherboard. You should only use your external sound card for your professional audio applications. You also want to use ASIO drivers to get the lowest latency from your sound card. These drivers make exclusive use of the hardware which may be why your are seeing these conflicts. Both Windows and Vegas can't have exclusive use at the same time. Now, Vegas has a switch for this in the preferences but it defaults to releasing the sound card when it does not have the focus (Options | Preferences | General | Close audio and MIDI ports when not the active application)

Here's another reason why you don't want Windows to use your pro sound card: The audio sounds that Windows makes are recorded at 44.1K 16-bit. Most audio from video is recorded at 48K 16-bit. The sounds card can only operate at 44.1K or 48K but not both at the same time. So if it is configured for 48K and then windows wants to beep at you, the sound card needs to switch to 44.1K mode to make the beep and then back to 48K mode to play your audio. This is not good. You want your sound card dedicated to the mode in which Vegas or SONAR or any other application expects it to be in and not be switching back and forth to make silly beeps in Windows.

Plug some cheap speakers into your motherboard and use that audio for Windows. You will have a lot less problems running this way.

~jr

dlion wrote on 12/25/2009, 11:13 AM

or, you could just turn windows sounds off.

Al Min wrote on 12/25/2009, 1:39 PM

Thanks John for the great reply. I'll run the audio from the Mobo into a mixer input and see what happens

Al Min wrote on 12/25/2009, 7:56 PM

Actually, I didn't have to run a cord from the mobo - all I had to do was change the sound card sample rate from 44.1 to 48.0khz. Goes good now.

JohnnyRoy wrote on 12/26/2009, 7:31 AM

Yea, having different applications want to switch the sample rate is usually what gets you into trouble. Glad that fixed it.

~jr