Windows 11 on iMac - Can’t run playback under Host WASAPI through internal speakers

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

I’m running windows 11 pro on a iMac 18.2

audacity is 3.7.7

In audio setup, you can choose the host: MME, windows direct, and WASAPI

I remember a while ago troubleshooting some issue I had with a mic or some device, and WASAPI was the way to go. I guess when I updated audacity it reverted back to MME on my older notebook, and I never noticed till now. So I did the same just now changing the macs audacity host from “MME” to “Windows WASAPI”

the trouble I’ve seemed to run into is, when selecting a playback device, I have 3 choices…

• Speakers (iRig USB)

• Speakers (Yeti Stereo Microphone)

• Speakers (Cirrus Logic CS8409 (AB 15))

The first two options work in WASAPI. The 3rd one though does not. It works in MME, and windows direct sound. I get this error message when I try playback under WASAPI using the internal speakers

image

I hear WASAPI is the better host to use so any recs to have playback using the internal speakers using WASAPI would be awesome

2

What’s happening is actually pretty common on iMacs running Windows through Boot Camp or a VM. WASAPI sometimes doesn’t expose the internal Cirrus Logic speakers the same way as USB devices, so Audacity can’t use them for exclusive-mode playback. It’s not a bug with Audacity itself, just how Windows handles that audio driver. You can stick with MME or Windows DirectSound for the internal speakers—they work fine. If you really want WASAPI, one workaround is to https://tropical-casino.com/ use a virtual audio device like VB-Audio’s “Virtual Cable” to route the output, but that’s extra setup. For most recording and playback, MME or DirectSound is perfectly stable.