Audio Issues
Audio problems usually come down to the audio interface (driver) in use, the format the device reports, or another application holding the device. WATCHOUT offers four audio interfaces: WASAPI, WASAPI Exclusive, ASIO, and Dante. Find the section for the interface your device uses. For the model behind audio devices and the bus routing matrix, see Audio Devices.
WASAPI
The shared-mode Windows audio path. See WASAPI.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Device list is empty | Node has no audio hardware or driver | Verify the sound device is visible in Windows Sound settings on the node. Install the manufacturer's driver. Click Refresh in Device Properties. |
| Audio plays but distorted | Sample rate / format mismatch causing Windows to convert | Pick the device's native format in the Format dropdown. |
| Higher latency than expected | WASAPI Shared buffering | Switch to WASAPI Exclusive or ASIO. |
| No sound, but device shows enabled | Wrong Windows default or hardware muted | Open Windows Sound, confirm the right device is selected and not muted. If using default, the Windows default may have changed. Pick the device by name instead. |
WASAPI Exclusive
The same Windows API in exclusive-access mode. See WASAPI Exclusive.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Device fails to enable | Format not natively supported, or another app already holds the device | Pick a format from the dropdown (the list reflects what the device reports as native). Close other applications using the device. |
| Other apps lose audio | Expected — exclusive mode locks the device | Either accept the trade-off, or switch to regular WASAPI. |
| Latency still not low enough | WASAPI's exclusive mode is limited by Windows' own audio scheduler | Switch to ASIO if the device has a vendor driver. |
ASIO
The professional audio standard, talking to the device through a vendor driver. See ASIO.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Device list is empty | No ASIO driver installed, or the driver is not enumerating | Install the manufacturer's ASIO driver, confirm the device appears in the vendor control panel, then Refresh the device list in Device Properties. |
| Glitches / dropouts | Buffer size too small for the host's load | Increase the ASIO buffer size in the vendor control panel. Also check for background processes (Windows Update, antivirus scans) competing for CPU. |
| Format dropdown shows one option only | ASIO driver reports the device's currently configured rate | Change the sample rate in the vendor control panel. WATCHOUT then offers the new rate. |
| Higher CPU than expected | Small buffer size or many active channels | Raise the buffer size. Cap the channel count to what the show actually uses. |
ASIO is single-client per driver. If the audio renderer and the LTC Bridge both target the same ASIO device, only the first wins. Put one side on WASAPI or WASAPI Exclusive — see Sharing a Card with Audio Input.
Dante
Audinate's audio-over-IP, built into WATCHOUT through the Dante Audio Library (DAL). Every node is Dante-ready out of the box. There are no Dante drivers to install. To publish Dante audio, a Dante license must be activated on the node. See Dante Audio.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| No adapter listed in the Adapter dropdown | DAL found no usable network interface on the node | Confirm the node has an active network interface. Nothing extra to install — the Dante stack ships with WATCHOUT. Click Refresh, or restart the node's services. |
| "Dante not activated" error | No Dante license is activated on the node | Activate a Dante license on the node with Audinate's Dante Activator. |
| "Insufficient number of channels" error | The activated license has fewer channels than the configured count | Reduce the channel count in WATCHOUT to match the license, or activate a larger channel tier. |
| Audio not reaching receivers | Routing not configured in Dante Controller | Open Dante Controller and create routes from the WATCHOUT transmitter to the desired receiver channels. |
| Audio dropouts or glitches | Network problems — insufficient bandwidth, missing QoS, or clock sync | Verify switch QoS configuration, check that PTP is running, and ensure no bandwidth contention on the Dante network. |
| Duplicate Dante device conflict | Two audio devices assigned to the same node interface | Each node should have only one Dante audio device per network interface. Remove the duplicate assignment. |
Related
- Audio Devices — the shared audio model and the bus routing matrix.
- Network Issues — when a node-assigned audio device produces no output.
- LTC Bridge — timecode capture that can contend for the same audio device.
- Getting Help — gather diagnostics and contact Dataton support.