Error while opening sound device ... (PreSonus FP10)

[abnc]

I am using Audacity 1.3.8 on Windows Vista Business with a PreSonus FP10. I am getting the dreaded message:

Error while opening sound device. Please check the input device settings and the project sample rate.

Previously I used a PreSonus Firebox with no problems but just replaced that with the FP10 and now I get this error message. It does not matter what input setting I choose, host (MME or DirectSound), or quality settings. Any insight on how to solve the problem will be appreciated. Below is the output of the Help-->Audio Device Info.

Thanks,
AB


==============================
Default capture device number: 1
Default playback device number: 7
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: MME: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Input
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: MME: FP10 #FP10 In 1&2 (PreSonus FP1
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: MME: FP10 #FP10 In 3&4 (PreSonus FP1
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: 3
Device name: MME: FP10 #FP10 In 5&6 (PreSonus FP1
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: 4
Device name: MME: FP10 #FP10 S/PDIF In L/R (PreSo
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: 5
Device name: MME: FP10 #FP10 In 7&8 (PreSonus FP1
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: 6
Device name: MME: Microsoft Sound Mapper - Output
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: 7
Device name: MME: FP10 #FP10 Main Out 1&2 (PreSon
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: 8
Device name: MME: FP10 #FP10 Line Out 3&4 (PreSon
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: 9
Device name: MME: FP10 #FP10 S/PDIF Out L/R (PreS
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: 10
Device name: MME: FP10 #FP10 Line Out 5&6 (PreSon
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: 11
Device name: MME: FP10 #FP10 Line Out 7&8 (PreSon
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: 12
Device name: Windows DirectSound: Primary Sound Capture Driver
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: 13
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 In 1&2 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 14
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 In 3&4 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 15
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 In 5&6 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 16
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 S/PDIF In L/R (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 17
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 In 7&8 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 18
Device name: Windows DirectSound: Primary Sound Driver
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: 19
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 Main Out 1&2 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 20
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 Line Out 3&4 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 21
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 S/PDIF Out L/R (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 22
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 Line Out 5&6 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 23
Device name: Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 Line Out 7&8 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
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: 13 - Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 In 1&2 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
Selected playback device: 19 - Windows DirectSound: FP10 #FP10 Main Out 1&2 (PreSonus FP10 WDM Audio)
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
192000
Recieved -9999 while opening devices

[steve]

It looks like Audacity can not recognise any input devices (the ones that it can see have no sample rates listed).
Try upgrading to Audacity 1.3.9 and if you get the same problem (after thorough testing), try writing to the feedback address in the "Suggestions, Bug Reports and Feature Requests" section on this page: http://audacityteam.org/contact/
(it says that you probably not get a response, but for this issue there is a good chance that you will).

[abnc]

Thanks for the assistance. I downloaded the latest version and after changing the settings to the various options I again get the same error message and the same output from Help-->Audio Device Info.

Regards,
AB

[Gale Andrews]

It looks like Audacity can not recognise any input devices (the ones that it can see have no sample rates listed).

I think that is not relevant (I've only ever seen a listing of supported rates for individual devices for output devices, even where the playback/recording works). More relevant is the -9999 at the end and Audacity has not found any available mixers.

We can't see your device and what your settings are. As always with external devices, match the sample rate (project rate at the bottom of the Audacity screen) and number of channels recorded and played back (Audacity can only play back in stereo) in all possible places - Audacity , the Windows system mixer and in any software control panel the FP10 has. Read the FP10 Manual. Get the latest drivers installer (Downloads tab here).

Don't use any ASIO drivers - Audacity does not support ASIO unless you compile it with ASIO support.

There is no guarantee on Windows that you will be able to record more than two channels, unless you use ASIO. So start by setting recording channels to "2" on the Devices tab of Audacity Preferences.


Gale

[abnc]

Well, I might note also that we have a PreSonus Firepod (which is basically the same thing as the FP10) on a Windows XP Pro system and Audacity works fine with the Firepod on that system. However, I am running Audacity 1.3.2 on the XP system; whereas, on this computer I am running Vista Business. I guess I could try a couple of different things, including rolling back to the older version of Audacity.

On the XP system, I can choose MME:FIREPOD OUTPUT 1/2 and MME:FIREPOD INPUT 1/2 2 Channels(Stereo) and that works fine. Here on the Vista machine with Audacity 1.3.9, I can choose MME as host, Output as FP10 1/2, and Input as FP10 1/2 2 Channels(Stereo) and this does not work. There is no software control panel per se other than the panel where you set sample rate and latency, and the sample rate there matches what I have set in Audacity.

Regards,
AB

[Gale Andrews]

Well, I might note also that we have a PreSonus Firepod (which is basically the same thing as the FP10) on a Windows XP Pro system and Audacity works fine with the Firepod on that system. However, I am running Audacity 1.3.2 on the XP system; whereas, on this computer I am running Vista Business. I guess I could try a couple of different things, including rolling back to the older version of Audacity.

On the XP system, I can choose MME:FIREPOD OUTPUT 1/2 and MME:FIREPOD INPUT 1/2 2 Channels(Stereo) and that works fine. Here on the Vista machine with Audacity 1.3.9, I can choose MME as host, Output as FP10 1/2, and Input as FP10 1/2 2 Channels(Stereo) and this does not work. There is no software control panel per se other than the panel where you set sample rate and latency, and the sample rate there matches what I have set in Audacity.

You could also try 1.3.9 (the current Beta) on XP with FP10 to see if the issue is Vista. Have you checked in "Sound" in the Vista Control Panel (both the Playback and Recording tab) and made sure the Default Format matches what you are trying to use? Also check "Allow applications to take exclusive control" in the "Exclusive Mode" panel underneath, then try using the DirectSound API in 1.3.9.

Plus I reiterate about having the correct drivers for FP10, just in case you haven't.


Gale

[abnc]

Ok, I have it working now. I already had the latest driver for the FP10. I rechecked the settings of Playback Device->Properties and then the Advanced tab. I made sure it matched what the PreSonus panel had. Thanks for all the help.

Regards,
AB