[wdmaudiodev] Re: Mixer API under Vista build 5308

  • From: "Frank Yerrace" <Frank.Yerrace@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 11:05:03 -0700

There's good news and not-so-good news about the current Vista builds.
The good news is that we anticipated this problem when we initially
designed the new Vista audio system, and built in a mixer compatibility
mode that will cause the mixer APIs to operate much like earlier
releases of Windows.  The not-so-good news is that there's no really
good way for an app to invoke this mode to get the compatible behavior.

Our team now has a high priority work item to add this "mixer
compatibility mode" to the general Windows Vista legacy operating system
compatibility modes. For those of you that aren't aware of this feature
in Windows XP, users enable compatibility mode for an application by
right-clicking on the application, clicking Properties, clicking the
Compatibility tab. If an application does not work well with the new
mixer API behavior or other Vista-specific operation, the user can
specify that the application should run in one of these compatibility
modes (XP, Win2000, Win95, etc).  Of course, as with all plans, there is
no guarantee that this change will make the final product, but we're
going to do everything in our power to ensure that it does.

As our own testing continues and we receive early feedback from
communities like this, we will identify specific applications that
clearly need the mixer API to work in compatibility mode (we already
have identified some). We will pre-configure Vista to automatically run
the mixer API in compatibility mode for these specific applications.

If you know of a specific application that needs the mixer API to
operate in compatibility mode, please send email to Richard Fricks
(richfr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx). You can forward this message with a description
of the application and appropriate contact information. Richard will
contact you to gather the necessary information allowing us to
pre-configure Vista to automatically run the mixer API in compatibility
mode for your application. Furthermore, we would like to help you make
future releases of the application more Vista-ready.

We hope this addresses this issue raised by several of you here. Thanks
again for providing such clear feedback to us.

By the way, there is a caveat regarding the mixer API behavior here.
When running in this compatibility mode, the mixer APIs will allow you
to directly control all the hardware controls reported by the audio
driver.  This is NOT exactly like the Windows XP behavior.  Windows XP
virtualized certain controls (like volume or mute) to make them work
well with the kernel mode mixing architecture in that OS.  On Vista, the
mixer API in compatibility mode will not virtualize any capabilities of
the hardware - it will report exactly what the hardware driver reports
and nothing more.

Frank Yerrace & Larry Osterman
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.


-----Original Message-----
From: wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Frank Yerrace
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 11:14 AM
To: wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Re: Mixer API under Vista build 5308

We very much appreciate that this community is taking a good look at
Vista and giving specific feedback like this. Thank you.

Please give us a couple weeks to study this issue here to see if we can
offer some alternatives for certain classes of applications like this.
If you hear nothing more within that timeframe, please raise the issue
again.
 
Frank Yerrace
Technical Lead
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.


-----Original Message-----
From: wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of stephen turner
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 9:26 AM
To: wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Re: Mixer API under Vista build 5308

I agree with Jeff and Dan -It looks like this is going to be a huge
problem for professional applications that still use the mixer API and
expect full control over the h/w.  Is there a way that the audio
subsystem can be put in a "legacy" mode to make it act like 2000/XP?
-steve
----------------------
Stephen Turner
AudioScience, Inc.


-------- Original Message --------
> From: "Daniel E. Germann" <deg@xxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 7:13 AM
> To: wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Re: Mixer API under Vista build 5308
> 
> We have customers that will have the same problem.  Some are
broadcast, like 
> Jeff's, and others use our products for test and measurement
applications. 
> Both sets of customers have existing software that expects to access
the 
> hardware through the mixer APIs.  In fact, access to the main audio
fader is 
> mandatory for the test and measurement app, so they can ensure their
test 
> stimulus signal is not attenuated.  Otherwise, it will look to their 
> software like the response signal has a drop in level.
> 
> Is there a white paper that talks about these changes that we could
pass on 
> to our customers, so they have a "heads up"?  Most of the public info
I've 
> seen so far is in the HD Audio or driver realm.
> 
> Thanks,
> -Dan
> --
> Dan Germann
> Digital Audio Labs
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jeff Pages" <barefeet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 8:31 AM
> > Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Re: Mixer API under Vista build 5308
> >
> >
> > Thanks Frank. The controls are showing up correctly and are
functional
> > under Device Properties as you described.
> >
> > My main concern is that our products are targeted at the
professional
> > audio market, and many of our customers will be using our cards with
> > broadcast automation and mixing desk software that expects to find
these
> > controls through the mixer API, and the loss of this functionality
will
> > seriously impact on our business.
> >
> > Jeff
> 
> ******************
> 
> WDMAUDIODEV addresses:
> Post message: mailto:wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subscribe:
mailto:wdmaudiodev-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=subscribe
> Unsubscribe:
mailto:wdmaudiodev-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe
> Moderator:    mailto:wdmaudiodev-moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> URL to WDMAUDIODEV page:
> http://www.wdmaudiodev.com/ 




******************

WDMAUDIODEV addresses:
Post message: mailto:wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subscribe:    mailto:wdmaudiodev-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=subscribe
Unsubscribe:
mailto:wdmaudiodev-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe
Moderator:    mailto:wdmaudiodev-moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

URL to WDMAUDIODEV page:
http://www.wdmaudiodev.com/

******************

WDMAUDIODEV addresses:
Post message: mailto:wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subscribe:    mailto:wdmaudiodev-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=subscribe
Unsubscribe:
mailto:wdmaudiodev-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe
Moderator:    mailto:wdmaudiodev-moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

URL to WDMAUDIODEV page:
http://www.wdmaudiodev.com/

Other related posts: