Thread: ASIO4ALL download free

It is possible to suffer less-than-optimal sound on your PC, as the operating system has a tendency to muck with music. Happily, a free, easy-to-use program, called ASI04ALL, addresses this.

So how does XP interfere with your music? Simply put, the OS hands off audio chores to a piece of software called the Kernel Audio Mixer, or Kmixer, which automatically resample audio files creating output that differs from the original recording. The effect is typically pretty subtle, and if you are listening to low-bit¬rate MP3s you probably won't notice it. However, if you prefer to hear music the way the artist recorded it, you can use ASIO4ALL to do an end run around Kmixer, sending an unadulterated version of the audio right to your sound card.

You'll need a compatible media player, such as foobar2000 or WinAmp (Windows Media Player and iTunes don't support it). I recommend installing foobar2000. You also need to download the foobar2000 ASIO DLL; the DLL file should go into foobar2000's Components folder on your computer hard drive.



After installing ASI04ALL, launch it by clicking on its Offline Settings option in the Start menu. You should see your computer's audio device highlighted; if you have more than one, select the one you intend to use.

Now launch foobar2000. Navigate to File, Prefirences, and choose Output. In the resulting dialog box, select Output (under Playback), and then ASIO Vinual Devices, before clicking the Add New button. A new dialog box should appear with your audio device and various mapping coordinates listed. Select one, then click OK, Safe All, and Close.

Return to your music collection, fire up your favorite reference (highest quality or original recording) tunes, and start listening. You should hear a noticeable improvement in audio quality with even the default (Simple) settings.