If you're a Mac computer user, you might have never heard the term ASIO when creating music during the recording journey. If you're proficient with your Mac computer, feel free to skip ahead .
*Mac computers come with their own core-audio protocol built into the Mac OSX operating system, so there’s no need to install an ASIO driver for your Mac.
What Is ASIO?
ASIO stands for Audio Stream Input/Output, and it’s a computer sound card driver protocol developed by Steinberg. The main purpose of using ASIO is to achieve low latency during recording and create a stable connection between a software application (like Steinberg Cubase, Apple Garageband, Presonus Studio One, etc.) and a computer’s sound card (audio interface).
How Does It Work?
Skipping some computer knowledge (and mathematics), in short, the ASIO driver is like a key that allows your sound card/audio interface to be recognized by the software (DAW) and to control the input and output channels efficiently.
A dedicated ASIO driver enables you to set up buffer size (samples) and other common settings such as sample rate or bit depth, allowing you to define how efficiently the input and output signals are processed through software (DAW) with your sound card/audio interface.
Speaking of efficiency in the recording world, latency is the most important and crucial asset that every musician seeks. For example, when recording a guitar over a demo, any latency over 30ms will seriously affect the vibe and you will need to retake over and over again in order to be "on time" in your project.
Below are some latency references (in theory) for common sample rates:
(Send us a request if you want to know how to calculate the latency:))
44.1kHz
128(samples)/2.9(ms)
256(samples)/5.8(ms)
512(samples)/11.6(ms)
48kHz
128(samples)/2.7(ms)
256(samples)5.3(ms)
512(samples)10.67(ms)
*Note that the mentioned latencies are one-way only; the RTL (Round-Trip-Latency is the sum of input latency, CPU/App processing time, and output latency.) should be at least twice, and additional latencies will be introduced based on your computer’s specs or background applications.
The Lower, The Better?
In a nutshell, the lower the buffer, the less latency there is, but more CPU usage is required.
Also, higher sample rates usually come with lower latency. You might be asking: How come higher sample rates result in lower latency? The reason is simply that your computer requires more CPU power to process at a higher sample rate, which might also lead to system overload (clipping) if not set correctly.
As a rule of thumb, recording at 128, 256, or 512 samples at a sample rate of 44.1kHz~48kHz is always acceptable for most home recording computers. Remember, there’s no industry standard for buffer size(samples), we recommend starting with 512 samples or higher to experiment.
What Happens If There Is No ASIO Driver?
If there's no ASIO driver installed and linked with your sound card/audio interface, your sound card will struggle to communicate and transmit audio data efficiently. Though some USB-compliant devices may still work, trust me, the latency and instability problems will keep you away from creating your music or podcast episodes.
Where Can I Get the ASIO Driver?
Every sound card/audio interface comes with its own manufacturer ASIO driver, which can usually be downloaded from the manufacturer's website. We recommend always using the manufacturer's ASIO driver for better performance.
Further Reading
ASIO Driver for Saturn Interfaces
What Buffer Size Should I Use?