In this article, we will cover how to make the most out of your Windows audio playback when using an Antelope Audio device. The following instructions are useful mostly for general, everyday use with media player applications such as Audio/Video players, Web browser playback, audio streaming services, etc.
- The settings are configured through the Windows Sound menu, accessible by right-clicking the loudspeaker icon on the bottom right of the taskbar, then clicking Sounds. Alternatively, the menu is accessible through the Windows Control Panel -> Sound.
- In the menu, select the Playback tab, then right-click your Antelope device and click Properties.
- Afterwards navigate to the Advanced tab. The most significant settings are the channel count, sample rate and bit depth settings. We recommend using 2 channel, 24 bit, 44100 Hz (Studio Quality) for a seamless experience with media playback applications. You can usually select a higher sample rate as well, depending on the media you are playing and the relevant player application. If you are experiencing interruptions when using your DAW and trying to playback audio from your OS at the same time or the audio/video simply would not play at all, make sure that the sample rate matches the one of your DAW session! You can disable the device and enable it again from the previous Playback tab of the Sound menu to, in a way, refresh the driver. This will be similar to unplugging and plugging your device, which helps Windows reset the playback configuration of the applications you are using. In some cases, disabling the Exclusive mode functionality might help when running multiple playback applications at the same time, so it is preferable to have it switched off.
- Under the Supported Formats tab, enable all of the formats and make sure to have all of the listed sample rates enabled, apart from 32.0 kHz.
- In the Enhancements tab, make sure to disable all enhancements.
- The last step would be to make sure that you've matched the sample rate and the bit depth of the device in the Windows Sound menu, under the Recording tab as well. This will make sure there are no sample rate/bit depth mismatches, if you are also using the interface as the input device for Windows. This can in some cases create issues with playback as well, so make sure it is configured.
The above should help create a smooth playback experience when using Windows Audio and we hope you've found the article instructive! As always, you are more than welcome to contact our support if you have any questions or require any assistance.
Antelope Audio support team