Did Something Change in the Audio Stack?

NTDEV
1

Hey Folks,

I’m asking from the vantage point of a user of audio devices – I’ve never written an audio driver for Windows, and know next to nothing about them: Did something significant change in the audio stack between XP SP2 and XP SP3?

I have an audio device (an M-Audio Delta 44), for which the vendor recommends one driver for XP SP2 and another for XP SP3.

I’m hearing that there are applications that work with the older driver that do not appear to work with the new version… regardless of the actual XP SP level installed.

I’m aware that there are lots of reasons for vendors directly folks to use a newer driver only on a newer service pack (like, maybe, they’ve only tests the old driver up through SP2 and they’ve only tested the new driver starting on SP3… a reasonable approach to limit the permutations of systems/drivers to be tested).

But is there anything TECHNICAL that changed??

Thanks for the background,

Peter
OSR

2

On Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 12:14:00PM -0500, xxxxx@osr.com wrote:

Hey Folks,

I’m asking from the vantage point of a user of audio devices – I’ve
never written an audio driver for Windows, and know next to nothing about
them: Did something significant change in the audio stack between XP
SP2 and XP SP3?

The only non-trivial changes were in the HD Audio class driver, and I
suspect most of the changes there were DRM-related. Quite a number of
people posted that their HD Audio devices stopped working with XP SP3.
I can’t tell from the specs whether the M-Audio Delta 44 installs as an
audio class device or not.

But is there anything TECHNICAL that changed??

For a more definitive answer, you might ask this question on the
[wdmaudiodev] mailing list, www.freelists.org/list/wdmaudiodev. Most
of the Microsoft audio team lurks there.

Tim Roberts, xxxxx@probo.com
Providenza & Boeklheide, Inc.

3

Thanks Tim… Interesting list. I see you’re active over on that one too (As an aside, I see they have a fabulous example “MSVAD” over there in audio land – Seems to be sort of the audio equivalent of the USB Bulk sample driver in USB land).

You’re very basic info is enough to satisfy me. Much appreciated,

Peter

4

On Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 05:15:15PM -0500, xxxxx@osr.com wrote:

Thanks Tim… Interesting list. I see you’re active over on that one
too (As an aside, I see they have a fabulous example “MSVAD” over there
in audio land – Seems to be sort of the audio equivalent of the USB
Bulk sample driver in USB land).

Yes. Many nmewbies have a tendency to think that audio drivers should
be simple. Someone will point them at the MSVAD sample, and they’ll come
back saying, “yes, I see, but where is the SIMPLE sample?”

Audio is a strange world, because there are two very different classes
of users: the vast unwashed majority, who just want to hear OK sound from
their DVDs and don’t give a hoot about the esoterica, and the very small
but extremely vocal minority doing weirdly high-end audio stuff. And,
not surprisingly, it’s almost impossible to satisfy both camps.

Tim Roberts, xxxxx@probo.com
Providenza & Boeklheide, Inc.