Is ASUS Xonar Essence STX Audacity compatible?

[tutr]

When I record using the line input on this sound card, the result is distortion. The Audacity input bar shows -6db or less. Windows media player plays back fine. I am using a line level source. The port is apparently being overloaded. If I drop the line level, the maximum level I can get is -50db or so in Audacity.
I assumed when I bought this card I could use the line level input to record using Audacity, but it is not working out. Does anyone have experience using this card? Is it compatible with Audacity 2.0.1?

[steve]

I don't have one myself, but there was someone on the forum a year or so ago that used one successfully, so I think it should work.

Please describe your set up in minute detail, including exactly what you have connected where and how, and details of your Windows version and settings.

[tutr]

Win XP 3ghz cpu 2gb ram
Realtek on board audio disabled in bios. Drivers present
ASUS Xonar Essence STX sound card with latest drivers
Onkyo A/V receiver
Technics SL 1300 turntable
Audacity 2.0.1
The turntable is plugged into the phono input on the Onkyo. Records play without distortion through speakers connected to Onkyo.

Tape Line Out on Onkyo connected to STX card Line input.

Powered speakers connected to STX card speaker outputs.

FM broadcast and records play through the powered speakers(though sound card) without distortion.
Windows media player also ok.

Audacity settings are default. Input meter shows -6. I record using any source(line input) through the sound
card and export as MP3 extreme. When I playback the MP3 using Win media player or through my media server, it is distorted-sounding as though something was overloaded during recording.

If I monitor the playback using Audacity, the level is -18 (indicating gain compression?).

So the problem is only during recording using the sound card. Before I added the STX, I had to attenuate the line level input signal to keep the Audacity input meter from jamming full right.

I do not have a block diagram of the sound card, so I don't know the signal paths. I contacted ASUS and they gave me "useful" advice, like installing Win 7 drivers on my XP machine.

[steve]

I contacted ASUS and they gave me "useful" advice, like installing Win 7 drivers on my XP machine.

Lol.

Are you able to install the "Xonar Audio Center" in Windows XP?
If so, look at page 26 of the user manual and check the input settings. I see that the Xonar has a combined mic/line input - if that is set for a microphone it will distort like crazy even if you turn down the Audacity recording level.

[tutr]

Yes, it is present. I noticed today that if I select the Line input on the ASUS mixer screen, any time I open Audacity it is deselected (now in Mic input mode) and the Mixer input is selected. If I manual reselect the Line input, the Audacity input meter goes dead and receives no input. If I restart Audacity, the same thing reoccurs.
Also, any time I change an ASUS level slider, the Audacity level meter drops to about -18 from -6. I have to restart Audacity to restore the level meter. That may be normal... I think the Audacity/sound card interaction has changed (for the worse)

Audacity log:

09:30:35: Audacity 2.0.1
09:30:35: Error: Couldn't find symbol 'MainPanelFunc' in a dynamic library (error 127: the specified procedure could not be found.)
09:30:37: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries...
09:30:37: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries from default path, 'C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacityavformat-52.dll'.
09:30:37: Looking up PATH environment variable...
09:30:37: PATH = 'C:WINDOWSsystem32;C:WINDOWS;C:WINDOWSSystem32Wbem;c:Python22;C:WINDOWSsystem32WindowsPowerShellv1.0;C:Program FilesATI TechnologiesATI.ACECore-Static;;C:PROGRA~1COMMON~1MUVEET~130625'
09:30:37: Checking that 'C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacity' is in PATH...
09:30:37: Warning: FFmpeg directory is not in PATH.
09:30:37: Temporarily appending ';C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacity' to PATH...
09:30:37: Checking for monolithic avformat from 'C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacityavformat-52.dll'.
09:30:37: Error: Couldn't find symbol 'avutil_version' in a dynamic library (error 127: the specified procedure could not be found.)
09:30:37: avformat not monolithic
09:30:37: Loading avutil from 'C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacityavutil-50.dll'.
09:30:37: Loading avcodec from 'C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacityavcodec-52.dll'.
09:30:37: Loading avformat from 'C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacityavformat-52.dll'.
09:30:37: Returning PATH to previous setting...
09:30:37: Actual avutil path C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacityavutil-50.dll
09:30:37: Actual avcodec path C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacityavcodec-52.dll
09:30:37: Actual avformat path C:Program FilesFfmpeg For Audacityavformat-52.dll
09:30:37: Importing symbols...
09:30:37: All symbols loaded successfully. Initializing the library.
09:30:37: Retrieving FFmpeg library version numbers:
09:30:37: AVCodec version 0x344802 - 52.72.2 (built against 0x344802 - 52.72.2)
09:30:37: AVFormat version 0x344002 - 52.64.2 (built against 0x344002 - 52.64.2)
09:30:37: AVUtil version 0x320f01 - 50.15.1 (built against 0x320f01 - 50.15.1)
09:30:37: FFmpeg libraries loaded successfully.

I noticed an error "main panel function"

[steve]

Would yo0u post the output from "Help > Audio device info".

By the way, most of the log information is just Audacity looking for if/where/how ffmpeg is installed.

[tutr]

Audio Device:

Code: Select all

==============================
Default capture device number: 1
Default playback device number: 3
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: ASUS Xonar Essence STX Audio
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: ASUS Xonar Essence STX Audio
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.200000
Low Output Latency: 0.200000
High Input Latency: 0.400000
High Output Latency: 0.400000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 4
Device name: Primary Sound Capture Driver
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 5
Device name: ASUS Xonar Essence STX Audio
Host name: MME
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 6
Device name: Primary Sound Driver
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Device ID: 7
Device name: ASUS Xonar Essence STX Audio
Host name: MME
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.000000
High Input Latency: 0.000000
High Output Latency: 0.000000
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Selected capture device: 5 - ASUS Xonar Essence STX Audio
Selected playback device: 7 - ASUS Xonar Essence STX Audio
Supported Rates:
    8000
    9600
    11025
    12000
    15000
    16000
    22050
    24000
    32000
    44100
    48000
    88200
    96000
    192000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available capture sources:
0 - Stereo Mix
1 - Microphone
2 - Aux
3 - Line In
4 - Wave
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - Wave
1 - SW Synth
2 - CD Player
3 - Wave
==============================
Capture volume is native
Playback volume is native

[steve]

Thanks, I'm starting to get the picture, but I don't know what you mean by:
"if I select the Line input on the ASUS mixer screen, any time I open Audacity it is deselected (now in Mic input mode) and the Mixer input is selected."

[tutr]

In the Xonar Audio Center, you click on the bottom arrow and it opens the volume sliders. You click on RECORD and you can select the input used with the small buttons at the bottom of each slider. There are a few sliders, two of which are Mic/Line and Mixer. If I select Line, then open Audacity, I hear a click on the STX card (relay) as it switches to Mic, and the Mixer slider is enabled. This happens only when Audacity is opened. Apparently it is causing the Mic/Line input to switch to Mic, which is overloaded by my line level input. I think that is why I am getting distorted recordings from the Line input. What Mixer does I haven't figured out yet.

[steve]

What settings do you have in the Device Toolbar and what other options are there?