Soundcard Device selection

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menobug
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon 02 Mar, 2015 11:28 pm

Soundcard Device selection

Post by menobug »

Is there a way to select the sound output device? Or is this a feature to be implemented in the future?

For example: I have two sound devices ... my usb-headset and my soundcard. I can switch windows sound between those two. But if I started PCem with Headset device active and then switch to soundcard device PCem sticks to headset.
JosepMa
Posts: 202
Joined: Tue 20 Jun, 2017 6:25 pm

Re: Soundcard Device selection

Post by JosepMa »

Windows allows to do that when the applications use the MME or Directsound APIs and select the default system soundcard, or with WASAPI when selecting by functionality (although this might only apply to microphones, don't remember now).

The problem is that PCem doesn't use any of those APIs directly. It is using an API called OpenAL, which was invented in a time where you only had one soundcard, so it is not prepared for soundcard switching.
Migrating to other libraries could also improve performance in other areas (like reducing audio latency to 20 to 50ms without issues, rather than working at 100 to 200), but I guess there's no one really motivated to do this right now.
Also it was said that using OpenAL could help to emulate slightly newer soundcards that had this, but it is not clear if it would be feasible or it would be better to delegate it to the system.
shermanp
Posts: 175
Joined: Sat 18 Feb, 2017 2:09 am

Re: Soundcard Device selection

Post by shermanp »

If PCem ever changes audio API, probably easiest to switch to SDL2, since PCem is already using that.
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