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Topic: Foobar buffer (Read 3141 times) previous topic - next topic
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Foobar buffer

Hi,

what is the difference between buffers in foobrar?
There is one in the preferences/output (default 1000) and there is another in preferences/advanced/playback (just below exclusive output overrides. And it is different than the first one.
And I also have a buffer in my DAC.
Should both (or three) of them be the same or different or is there any preferred ratio between them?
Do they always work or is the one in ...advanced/playback only for wasapi?

Re: Foobar buffer

Reply #2 –
The one in Prefs/Output that has 1000ms set as a default has always been a mystery to me, while the much smaller one involved in the Wasapi Exclusive settings I have understood as a setting involving hardware buffering that affects latency only when using that mode.  While we're waiting for something definitive as far as Foobar, here are a couple of relevant links to articles with a ton of good info on buffer settings in general for DAWs and Wasapi Exclusive:

https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/which-buffer-size-setting-should-i-use-in-my-daw/

https://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/KB/WASAPI.htm

Re: Foobar buffer

Reply #3 –
The main buffer in foobar2000 is the output buffer. This is where all data goes after being decoded and after having passed through the DSP pipeline. If this buffer runs empty when outputs need more data your playback will glitch. This buffer can cause visible latency in the form of DSP setting adjustment. When you tweak a setting the old buffer contents need to first clear out before you hear the change.

The other buffer, Advanced -> Playback -> Exclusive output overrides -> Hardware buffer in ms, is an override for WASAPI exclusive mode's hardware mixing buffer. If the automatic value for whatever reason causes glitching, you can tweak the setting. This is low-level buffer used by the sound card drivers to feed the DAC. It is tiny as it's meant for near realtime operation and its size is also limited, it can never be as large as software buffers. What it should be depends on the driver implementation and it should be generally left alone.

I suspect the DAC buffer you mentioned is related to ASIO driver setting you have seen. It's like the WASAPI buffer mentioned above but for your driver. ASIO drivers typically allow adjusting this so people have the option to try to make audio as realtime as possible. If you were making music and required realtime monitoring of what you record, lower buffer makes that happen. Lower buffer also means they will cause glitching easier. For audio playback these buffers don't need to be small.

The tl;dr version:
Increase output buffer if you have playback issues when machine is loaded. Don't touch anything else unless you have glitching all the time.

Re: Foobar buffer

Reply #4 –
Thanks, Case!